Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
by XxLuna CosimaxX
Summary: Every starry night, Alex would sing the entire lullaby, 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star', to help her fall asleep without any nightmares. One night, a child from the stars meets Alex and grants her two wishes. As a test, she wishes that she was a part of the Bleach Universe. Unexpectedly, it came true, and she was now in the World of Bleach from the very beginning. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello, hello! Yes, I have yet again created another Bleach story for all my readers. As the summary said, it will be following the main plot of Bleach. But, there will sadly be a few arcs that will not be included and ones that will be added. If that's not what you want, then you can go ahead and stop reading or skip those few chapters. **_

_**Disclaimer: All of the Bleach characters obviously do not belong to me but to the rightful and awesome owner, Tite Kubo. But I do own the characters I made up! **_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_Darkness. It was the only thing that surrounded my entire being and vision. The worst part was that I falling in that same blackness, and it didn't help knowing that I was nyctophobic*. I tried to reach out and grab something-anything-to stop myself from this horrible sensation. But my efforts were wasted, for there was absolutely nothing in this void. Seeing that there was nothing that I could do, I allowed my body to fall limp and succumb to the darkness. Maybe there's just no hope for me to be free from this nightmare...__  
_

"_Alex!" _

_I heard someone calling me. My head shot up to find the source of the sudden voice, but I still couldn't see a thing. So I simply fell limp once more and continued my fall. _

"_Alex!" _

_There was that voice again. I guess that since it happened a second time, my mind wasn't playing any tricks on me. From the sound of whoever was calling me, it probably belonged to a boy around the age of fifteen to seventeen. _

_After my name was spoken twice, a speck of white light had appeared high above me. I looked closely at it and couldn't believe my eyes. There was actually hope for me getting out of this world of darkness. I wished that I could respond to the boy's calls. But alas, it seemed and felt like I couldn't use my voice at all. How am I supposed to reply to him now? _

_I guess the mere sight of me moving at all was enough motivation for the boy, because I saw that he was accelerating towards me from the white light. Maybe I should help him out in anyway that I can. I tried stretching one of my arms out to him with as much energy as I can. A long, pink sleeve had caught my eye for a split second. From the looks of it, I'm guessing that I was wearing one of my light jackets... Focus Alex! _

_The boy saw me reaching out to him. It motivated him even more than ever. As he approached me, I was able to make out his appearance. He was wearing a tight fitted, long-sleeved, black robe and ankle-length coat. It closed at his chest and went out into ragged ends that flapped as he cut through the air. The boy held a thin, black sword with a chain that had a broken link attached to the end of the handle. What nearly caught me off guard was the color of his hair: orange._

_ Then it finally hit me: this is Ichigo Kurosaki from the anime, Bleach. And he was trying to save me! I thought that he wasn't real, just a made up character! Well, the fact that he was in front of me proved that statement wrong. _

"_Alex, take my hand!" Ichigo yelled as he stretched his free hand to grab my own. _

_I did what he said and stretched my hand farther to touch his. We were relieved when our hands finally latched on to the others. I looked up at Ichigo and saw joy and happiness in his brown eyes. I, too, felt the same way. But then I realized something: we were still falling in a void of darkness, except for the dot of light from above. But it seemed like Ichigo didn't care at all, for he has already saved me. But why celebrate if we were still in this never-ending nightmare?_

_As if someone, or something, had read my thoughts, another bright light appeared from below us. __I heard something shatter like glass hitting a hard floor and turned my head to see that there was light consuming all of the darkness and then breaking away slowly reveal a green patch of land. It soon turned out to be a part of acres and acres of grass plains. Once the light was completely gone, a vast blue sky filled with marshmallow clouds of different shapes and sizes was shown from above Ichigo. The brightness of the mid-day sun nearly blinded my eyes as his body was silhouetted by its light. Everything was so…beautiful and breath-taking. I hadn't even realized that I was smiling like a joyful idiot as I tightened my hold on Ichigo's hand._

_Ichigo felt this and looked into my eyes with sincere ones, "I won't let go, and that's a promise." _

_Now, to be honest, I did think that it was one of those dreams that starts out as a paradise and then drastically changes into horrific things. But when he made that promise, it made me forget about the possible idea. I started to see a few drops of water on Ichigo's face and soon became puzzled. I then figured out that I was shedding salty, tears of joy. I did feel that my eyes had been watery for the past few minutes now. So, I guess I was bound to cry either way._

_The grass plains from under us were becoming closer and closer. Finally, the endless fall was about to come to a close. It was such a relief… But...if we were going to actually land on solid ground… _

_Before I panicked, Ichigo hoisted me up into his arms, bridal style, and positioned himself upwards right as he landed on his sandal covered feet. He made sure that the thin blade he held wouldn't accidentally harm me. Ichigo looked up at me as if he were asking for my permission. At first, I had no idea what he was hinting at. But I soon caught on and nodded my head for the OK. He then carefully set me down on thousands of dancing grass blades._

_Once I was on the ground, my head started to feel light-headed. I guess after all of that falling, my body was still getting used to solid ground. I held onto my head with one arm and used the other to grab onto something to prevent myself from passing out or anything. Thankfully, Ichigo quickly stopped it from happening by using his free hand to hold me by my back. _

_His eyes stared intently at me, __"Are you alright?" _

_I could tell that he was really worried about my condition from the way he asked me. Though I have to admit that I am also still a little shaken up from being in the dark for so long. But other than that, I'm probably going to be alright. A small and comforting smile made its way onto face as I turned to Ichigo,__ "Yeah, I think so. Don't worry, though. I'll be fine."_

_While getting a better look at Ichigo's expression, I saw that his face went from caring to a sort of seriousness. It nearly scared and made me jump back in surprise. "Hey, what's wrong?" I was beginning to feel a little confused and worried that there was something else bothering him._

_But instead of answering my question, Ichigo gently pushed me forward as his eyelids were slowly closing. He inched his face closer to mine, trying to shortened the gap between us entirely. _

_I didn't know what was going on at first. But then my entire face blushed a deep shade of red as I finally understood his intention. My chest was thumping so loud that I could barely hear myself think. Was Ichigo really going to…?_

_His lips barely parted as it neared my own. Everything felt as it time slowed the process down, and it killed me. The more I waited for our lips to touch, the faster my heart rate sped up. _

_Ichigo Kurosaki is going to be my first kiss. I can't believe that-_

A loud alarm clock suddenly went off, interrupting and ending Alex's dream. Said girl had tossed and turned as she groggily pushed herself up from her bed. Jade green eyes tiredly glared daggers at the blasting contraption that sat on the owner's nightstand. To shut it off, she slammed the snooze button but accidentally, or purposely, knocked the alarm down to the ground. If it had fallen on hardwood or tiled floors it would have been smashed into pieces. But thankfully, her floors were carpet. Seeing that her alarm clock was off, Alex smiled, plopped down on her bed, and went back to sleep.

* * *

It was Thursday morning, which meant that Alexandria Rosewood had school today. She was fourteen years of age, also meaning that she attended to a high school.

At this high school, her grades were solid A's and B's. Alex strived for all A's. She would usually work her butt off on many assignments and projects in order to achieve that goal. The only problem was that she would usually goof off and nearly forget exactly what she was doing. The people that she normally hung out with didn't exactly help at all. However, there were a few close friends that steered her back on track whenever Alex would lose too much focus. It was evident that she has difficulty keeping focus on one thing at a time.

Something else that Alex would constantly do was dozing off or daydreaming. When she's done with an assignment before most of her classmates, she would daydream. Whenever there was a boring lecture, she would daydream, although most people would do that anyways (you know who are you, don't lie). Any time Alex would have time to spare, she would daydream. Daydreaming was something that would always help her get through the day, especially with the kind of dreams she always have.

Now, since it was of course time for Alex to get up for school, someone else had to wake her up. It was obvious that the alarm clock had no effect on her. Luckily, her mother and father were basically the back-up alarms.

A woman in her thirties walked toward her only child's bedroom, already thinking of way to get her lazy behind out of bed. Once hearing the loud thump the alarm clock made as it fell on Alex's bedroom floor, she knew that her daughter had intentionally slammed the alarm off too hard…again. '_I don't know what I'm going to do with this girl…' _The mother shook her head while opening the decorated door of her daughter's room.

Alex's door had all kinds of posters and wallpapers of the various anime shows she loved to watch. There were also a few from video games that Alex would like to play but can't, because 'the game's difficulty was out of her abilities'. So, the fanatic would simply watch videos of other playing them online. Alex's mother didn't quite understand why her child was so obsessed with things that boys do when she should going crazy over girl things, like boy bands, or something of that nature.

"Alex," the mother spotted the knocked out teenager on her bed. "Sweetie, you need to get up and get ready for school." She stayed near the door to see what Alex's response would be. And of course, she completely ignored her and continued to rest. '_The alarm went off less than five minutes ago, so I__ know __she's still somewhat awake.' _The woman went over to her daughter's bed, stretched her arms out a little, and then flipped Alex off of the bed. The bed sheets wrapped themselves around her flailing body as she fell to the floor. Even after the many times she had done this to wake her up, Sophia still let out a few giggles here and there. "Don't you ever learn the first twenty times, young lady? If you don't wake yourself up, then your father or I will have to do it ourselves."

Groaning and mumbling could be heard from the other side of the full sized bed. A hand was seen grabbing on to the edge of the bed as it pulled its owner's body high enough for the head to show. Alex only stared at her mother. "I'd rather have dad continuously smack me in the face with a hard pillow than be flipped out of bed by you, mom," she deadpanned. While getting up from the floor, Alex had some difficulty getting out of the tangled bed sheets. She tugged and unwrapped herself, making herself spin and feel dizzy.

"Well, after your done de-mummifying yourself, hurry up and get dressed, eat breakfast, and get your stuff ready before I take you to school, okay?" Sophia left the room after receiving a nod of agreement. She was satisfied with her work this morning. The other times that Sophia would have to wake her daughter up would usually end up taking more time than expected. But today was a new record, and Alex didn't even resist! '_Maybe it's because today is a good day for her. Either that or she could be planning something.' _This thought lingered the mother's mind as she started taking out her daughter's favorite cereal. Yes, she did know that it would be best to actually make breakfast for her, but Alex seemed to be just fine.

The outfit Alex was to wear for today consisted of a white tank-top underneath a pink hooded jacket, pink and white camouflaged cargo pants, and normal black converse. Her blue and black floral messenger bag's strap was hung across her chest. She was already finished eating breakfast and was now heading outside where her mom's purple car was parked in front of the garage. "Mom, can I start the car?" She called out and waited for Sophia's answer. She was in her room putting on decent clothes to take Alex to school. Her father, Ted, was in his office downstairs near the back. He would usually be the one to take her to school, but today was a little packed and busy for him.

Sophia shouted where the keys were, "They're on the counter!"

"Okay!" Alex shouted. She turned in the direction where her dad was. "Bye dad!"

"Have a nice day at school!" Ted's loud, fatherly voice carried over through the closed doors of his office.

Alex went out through the front door of her home. The pathway she went on was cleared except for a few grass blades here and there from the lawn mowing company that had recently fixed up there front and backyard. She unlocked her mother's car doors and opened the passenger's door once hearing it unlock. As Alex sat down, she inserted the car keys into the ignition and felt the car come to life after turning the key.

Taking out her mp3 player, she turned it on and unlocked it. She went through her playlist of songs and found the one she wanted to listen to first. The song played in her ear through the headphones that came with the device. It looked pretty beaten up, but it still worked. So unless one or both of the speakers stopped working, Alex would be sticking with these headphones. She waited patiently for her mother to take her to school. But after occasionally checking the time on the small device, Alex was getting a little tired of waiting.

"It shouldn't take that long to put on decent clothes," Alex muttered under her breath, sighing heavily.

She didn't understand how most people could take forever when changing or getting dressed. Alex wasn't that fast, but at least she didn't take ten years. '_I knew I shouldn't have woken up this morning.' _The sound of a door closing brought much relief to Alex's mind. "It's about time!" Alex was so glad that they were able to leave.

Sophia entered the driver's seat with an apology ready for her daughter. "Sorry about that, honey," she said as she buckled up and prepared herself before driving out. "I had a few wardrobe malfunctions with some of my shoes."

"You know, I'm guessing it's because you can't fit them anymore," Alex said. "That happens to a lot of people when they're getting…" her mom gave her a look, "Younger," she finished.

Sophia nodded her head with a smile of approval. Alex was right, though. She was in need of new shoes. And with payday being tomorrow, Sophia might be able to take her daughter out along with her. She was tired of Alex wearing sneakers and converse most of the time. She needed to wear flats like most girls would, and they would go great with some of the outfits Sophia planned on getting for her this weekend. "So what's today that has gotten you into such a good mood?" Her eyes stayed straight and locked on the nearly busy road ahead of them.

"What do you mean?" Alex turned to her dear mom and raised an eyebrow. "You had to flip me out of the bed this morning!" she said, making a flipping motion with her hands as a demonstration.

"True, but it didn't take as long as it usually would like before. So I was wondering if something had gotten you into such a good mood that you didn't try resisting or fighting back."

Her green eyes stared out the passenger's window, "I don't know. I guess I just feel like something might happen today, good or bad." Some of the brown strands of her hair fell down and tickled her cheeks as the car moved. She pushed them behind her ears and went back to looking out her window.

* * *

Once they reached Alex's high school's car rider lane, Alex waved to her mom goodbye before she pulled away. '_I _wish_ something good would actually happen today.' _She went inside the school building. A quick blast of cold air made shivers go down her spine as goosebumps went down both arms. Even with the jacket on, it was still a little chilly. At least she for once remembered to leave a warmer jacket in her locker a couple days ago. It would especially always be freezing in History. The air was probably blasting in that room because of how the teacher would usually make the students fall asleep during his lessons.

Alex looked up at the school's digital clock and saw that she still had some time left before the bell rang. She headed straight to her locker that was a few hallways down the right and retrieved her jacket. Quickly, she put it on over the one she was wearing as she walked down the hall, searching for her homeroom. Alex found it and entered using the heavy door. The lights were already on, which meant that her teacher was there. "Ms. Evergreen?" She looked around the large classroom in search of the crazy Science teacher.

"Oh! Well, if it isn't one of my favorite class clowns!" A woman in her fifties with the weirdest clothing on popped up from behind her desk. "I was just looking for one of my missing microscopes. But since you're here, would you be so kind as to help a poor old woman?" She asked in a little old lady's voice.

Alex giggled at her teacher, "Sure, Ms. Evergreen. I'll help a poor, little old lady out."

Ms. Evergreen clapped her hands together in delight. "Wonderful! Now, try looking in one of the closets near the door." She pointed over to the door with a ring covered hand.

The bell rang and the other students of the high school all went to their lockers and classes. The two searching women had found the misplaced microscope just in time. Alex hurried over to her locker a second time to get her things for the day. Had she remembered what she needed, a second trip to her locker wouldn't have been necessary.

Everyone had gone to their lockers, got what they needed, hopefully, and started the day off with their first period class.

* * *

"Dad, I'm home!" Alex yelled out while opening her front door. She had to admit that it was a pretty long and tiring day at school. Thank goodness the week was almost over. And they had Monday off, which meant a three-day weekend!

"How was school?" Ted called back.

"It was okay!"

"That's great! Did you get into any trouble today?"

"For once, I was on my best behavior!"

"Even better than I expected!"

Alex laughed at her dad. He would usually come out of his office and spend time with his family, but when the time came for him to have a super packed schedule, Sophia and Alex would rarely see him. But that was okay with them. As long as the two working adults kept a roof over their heads, it was alright.

The tired student went up to her room and plopped down on her bed. It felt so nice to be on a soft and comfy bed after using up nearly all of her energy that day. Her History teacher was absent today, so the substitute had allowed them to spend the class period outside. It was Alex's last class, so it was part of the reason why her face was still red from the heat. Some of her brown hair stuck to her face from the perspiration that dripped down from her head. Not much of the sweat had gotten on her clothes. It was still pretty evident that Alex ran around their field for a long time. She took a quick shower, dressed herself in black shorts, a white T-shirt, and a light jacket before going downstairs to find a snack to eat.

Out of nowhere, Alex's ears picked up a sort of sparkling or twinkling sound that a fairy would make. A child's giggles were heard after it. '_What in the world?' _She looked around the kitchen, trying to find the source of the random noises and laughter. Seeing that no one was there, Alex slowly turned away but listened out for any more of the noises. To her expectations, the giggling could now be heard throughout the entire home. It wasn't a psychotic or sick giggle but a happy and joyful one. '_Whoever is giggling must be having fun messing with my head.'_

Her mom came home soon after the giggles had stopped and walked up to her only daughter with her arms spread. "I'm home!" she sang. Giving Alex a big bear hug, the mother embarrassingly kissed her on the head. "So, how was school today for my little Alex?"

"Mom, would you please get off me?" Alex gently pushed her mother off of her, straightening out the winkles left behind on her clothes. "And it was just fine as usual," She started up the stairs, forgetting about the snack.

"Oh, well, that's wonderful! Did you get in trouble today?"

"I was on my best behavior, mom!"

Alex went inside her room and closed the door. She didn't feel hungry anymore, so she plopped back down on her bed and listened to music. In time, she soon fell asleep. At least two hours afterwards, the sun had set and allowed the bright moon to rise in its place. Accompanying it was numerous twinkling stars that shined bright in the now darkened sky. The lights of both the moon and the stars helped provide a source of light for those without electricity or a fire. Alex woke up to see this and sighed while rubbing her head. "I seriously have to stop taking long naps when I get home."

Before getting up from her bed, her green eyes looked out her bedroom window and saw the many stars that occupied the night sky. '_Well, at least I woke up when the stars came out.'_ She was happy to be living in a neighborhood that was away from the busy city, especially if they were far enough to always see the stars whenever they would come out to shine their luminous lights.

Something that would always make Alex go outside on her balcony to look up at the shining moon and stars was the childhood lullaby, 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'. She would sing this to herself every night to help her sleep well at night. If she does forget, then there would be the occasional nightmares that forced her to wake up, nearly screaming for someone to save her. The worst part of the dream was that everything had felt so real to her, especially the pain being inflicted on her body, physically and mentally. It would always end up being a memory of _that _night._  
_

Alex walked over to the body length window and unlocked the secured latch on it. The glass windows were now allowed to swing inwards. Both of her hands grabbed the long, curved handles and used them to open the window/door. She stepped out onto the wooden surface of her balcony. She had socks on, so the wood didn't bother her as it would when barefoot. Looking up at the starry sky, she closed her eyes and began to softly sing.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star

How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high

Like a diamond in the sky…

When the blazing sun is gone

When there's nothing he shines upon

Then you show your little light

And twinkle, twinkle through the night…

In the dark blue sky you keep

And through my curtains you often peek

For you never shut your eyes

Till the sun is in the sky…

Then a traveler in the dark

Thank you for your tiny spark

He couldn't see which way to go

If you didn't twinkle so

No, I don't know what you are

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high

Like a diamond in the sky."

She slowed down near the end to let the words linger in the air. Alex knew that she didn't have a famous, singer voice, but it didn't mean that she couldn't sing at all. She couldn't sing high or low notes, so she was usually in the middle when it came to pitch. Well, they could be slightly high, but not like opera high. Other than that, her singing was alright and didn't want to make people repeatedly bang their heads on a wall until they were knocked out. She was also glad that she didn't go overboard with it either. Alex wasn't so fond of those types of singers, especially if they wanted to prove that they were better than others with soft voices, and that's the type Alex was.

The brunette opened her eyes to see the twinkling lights in the sky once again. A bright smile broke across her face. '_Now, I can go to bed without any bad dreams…' _But before she walked back inside, one of the stars from the sky started to slowly descend to the ground, landing near Alex's astonished face. The bright star soon giggled. It was the same one from earlier.

"Wait, that was _you _giggling in my house from before?" Alex accusingly pointed at the giggling star.

The strangest thing had happened next. A small child with light brown pigtails had transformed from the glimmering star. She seemed to be around eight or nine years of age. On her body was a light green dress stopping at her knees. She wore shorts underneath them to help her feel comfortable. Her feet wore knee high boots that sparkled gray. There was a matching, green hat with a face of a bunny, the ears falling down to her elbows. "Right you are!"

Alex yelled in surprise, hiding back behind a tied up curtain. "You...You changed into a human? _And_ you can talk?" she stuttered out. It was obvious that she wasn't understand the craziness going on at the moment. "What the heck is going on here?!"

The little star girl was still giggling at Alex's reaction. "Well, I heard you singing our favorite lullaby and just had to see who was singing it! It was a little hard though, since you were speaking softly, but I managed!" The entire time, she switched from happy, to sad, and then back to a cheerful mood.

An eyebrow twitched at the little girl. '_Something's wrong with this girl…'_ "Anyways, you saw who was singing, so you can go back up to the sky with your star friends and let me eat dinner before going to bed, okay?" She shooed her with one hand as the other was still gripping the curtain.

The girl frantically waved her hands in front of her, eyes closed and everything, "W-W-Wait a minute! Don't you want to know who I am?"

Alex blinked at her with a straight face, "Why? We're probably not going to see each other again."

"Well, you'll know why in just a second. But you have to tell me what your name is before I tell you mine."

". . . Alex," she sighed.

The little girl gave a big grin, "And I'm Botania! But you can call me Bobo."

"Alright, Bobo," Alex walked out of the safety of her room, seeing that this girl named Botania seemed to be harmless, "what is it that you are going to show me that was the reason for our introductions?" Her arms were crossed as she looked down at the pigtailed girl.

Bobo was nearly jumping with excitement. "I get the chance to grant you any wish that you want!" Her eyes smiled. "But, it can only be two," she quickly added, holding up two fingers.

In response to the reason Bobo gave her, Alex comically stared wide-eyed at her. She was in both shock and disbelief at what she just heard. It took her a couple of minutes to process everything in her head. "Okay, so what you're telling me is that you can grant two of my wishes to come true, all because I sang the entire lullaby of 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'?" Bobo nodded. "Yep, it's time for dinner. I probably shouldn't have taken a nap without eating a snack," Alex was now walking back into her bedroom as she headed for her door.

"Hold on! Don't you want to see if I'm telling the truth?" Bobo really wanted to show Alex what she could do.

"Hmm, let me think - no."

"Please?" Bobo begged. "Please, please, please, please, please?"

"Alright, alright, I'll let you prove that you're telling the truth!" Alex gave in, for the constant pleading was just annoying and was hurting her head.

"Yes!" Bobo jumped in the air and flew over to the annoyed teenager. "Okay, what wish would you like for me to grant first? And be specific so I don't mess it up!"

Alex's green eyes stared at the over-excited child. She couldn't believe that she was actually doing this! '_I should probably do a test wish to see if she's the real deal. Yeah, I'll lose a chance of having two of my own wishes to come true, but it's worth it.' _"Alright, I've decided what my first wish is going to be. I wish that I was in the Bleach Universe. And, I want to be able to be a part of the plot from the very first episode, probably a short while before it takes place. If you can do that, then I'll believe that you're telling the truth." She lowered herself to meet with Bobo's blue eyes. "You think you can handle it?"

Said girl nodded her head. "Is there anything else that you want to add on?"

_'She really thinks she can do it!' _"Okay, I also want to be able to have Soul Reaper powers of my own. But I have to go through a process to be able to obtain them. I don't like it when things come easy to people."

"Done and done!" Bobo started performing numerous pirouettes*. What seemed to be stardust was flying off everywhere from her gray boots. The affects they had on Alex had caused her to feel light-headed, and soon she was seeing her entire vision blur and slowly fade.

_'What…what is going…on here…?' _Alex held onto her head as she tried holding on to something within her reach. '_It's kind of like that dream I had this morning…I'm falling into darkness and there is nothing that I can do…'_ In time, her entire world went black, and she fainted. She disappeared and left behind the same stardust in her place. Bobo, too, had followed suit and disappeared on her last twirl.

* * *

_***Dramatic Gasp* What happened to Alex? And where did Bobo make her disappear to? Will she be okay? Who knows, but you have to find out by reading on to the next chapter.**_

_***Pirouette: A pirouette is the rapid whirling about the body; a full turn on the toe or ball of one foot in ballet. **_

_**Ciao!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Ah, I see that I have a lot of people adding my stories to their alerts and favorites. I'm really thankful for everyone that has read any of my other stories and also this one. **_

_**Disclaimer: Same as the last chapter!**_

_**Read and Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Alex finally came to, groaning as her heavy eyelids lifted open. Her head still felt a little dizzy, but she managed and looked around the room. However, instead of her simple bedroom with her posters covering up most of the walls, this room was more spacious and had different furniture in it. Even the bed had changed from full to queen-size. The bed sheets seemed a bit more…expensive than her old ones, along with the headboard. And the flat screen T.V. that stood on high stand was certainly a new feature, because Alex clearly remembered that there was no T.V. at all in her room! The only piece of technology she had was her mp3 player and portable stereo. '_Well, it looks like my room has obviously been upgraded.'_ She sat up in bed, now fully conscious.

There were a few fancy lights that were mounted the walls near her bed. A small chandelier hung near a doorway with two doors that was probably the bedroom's door. A body length mirror leaned against the wall next to the mounted light. What really caught her off guard was the mini fireplace next to the double doors. "I have my own fireplace?" She whispered in a high voice. Alex looked over the edge of the bed and saw a brown, leather cushioned bench with a small pillow on it. Over by the fireplace were two cushion chairs, also with pillows on them, which were seated at a small, glass coffee table. '_This is just too weird. This has to be a dream!' _She got up from the bed and stepped on the flat, carpet floor. '_A good splash of cold water should wake me up.'_

But the 'dream' didn't stop there. The bathroom was on her left and also had two doors. A small, adjacent hallway led to the doorway. When she held both handles and pushed it forward, all Alex could do is just gape at the sight. She had to flip the light switch, which turned on a trail of small lights, just to confirm what she was seeing. "Oh…my…gosh!" She looks around the entire room and immediately noticed the contrast in size from her bathroom. About three or four of her old bathrooms combined could fit in this one! The shower had its own little room space with a door, a robe and towel with her initials on them hanging on a hook next to the glass door. Across from the shower was a little make up station. A medicine cabinet came next, and then a sink with the usual mirror was last. Cabinets and drawers with bronze handles were underneath each of the marble counter. Of course, there was a bathtub, a big one, next to the shower. One thing that made her get off track was the huge, transparent mirror on the other wall of shower. '_Really? They could have at least built a curtain or something so other people can't see me taking a shower.' _She had to slap herself to remember the real problem. "Right, focus!" It was now confirmed that all of this wasn't her room. Alex needed to find Botania and try to figure out just where the heck she was!

"Bobo!" Alex called out for her little star genie. "Bobo, where in the world are you?"

Light brown pigtails and white green bunny ears flopped down as Botania was hanging upside-down. "Here I am!"

Alex jumped in fright and nearly had a heart attack at the sudden appearance of the strange child. "Get don't from there!" She ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" Bobo happily complied and brought herself down from floating upside-down. "Is there anything you need?"

"Oh, I don't know. I think maybe a glass of water, some grapes, or an explanation as to where the heck I am!" Alex was in no mood for the little girl's childish act, even if she was a child.

Bobo giggled at the brunette's ticked off face expression. "You look funny when you're angry, kind of like a shark with white eyes!"

She blinked at the weird comparison. "What do you mean like a shark with white…eyes…?" Spotting the body length mirror in the room, Alex hurried off to it and got a better look at her appearance. She was still wearing the same clothes as before. But the one thing that caught her eyes was the way it looked. "What in the. . .?" She tried getting angry again and saw that her teeth did in fact change from normal human teeth to shark teeth in no time. Her eyes switched from green to pure white with no pupils or anything. "Okay," Alex went back to normal and glared at Bobo with an index finger jutted in her direction, "you mind telling me exactly what the heck is going on?"

"If you had believed me the first time, you wouldn't be in this mess," Bobo sang as she floated over to the confused girl. "Don't you see it? Everything and everyone around you is now animated. You'll see more people looking like that downstairs."

"Downstairs?" Alex caught on and dashed to the stairs but nearly knocked someone over, "Oh, I'm sorry!"

The lady laughed and patted Alex on her head, "It's alright, Alex! You were probably thinking that you were late for school. But don't worry, because tomorrow is your first day at your new school!"

"N..New school?" '_When did we ever move from home? And who is this lady and how does she know my name?' _Thoughts in the form of questions were swirling around in Alex's head as she soon became dizzy. The swirls in her eyes proved this. "Okay, getting a little dizzy again." She held onto her head and hoped that she wouldn't black out again.

"Oh, my, you should probably go on ahead and get back to bed! I'll go ahead and get you a glass of water." The woman gently guided Alex back to her bedroom, laying her down on the soft bed. "Now, you wait right here while I get that water." She went back out of the door to retrieve the drink.

Alex was still feeling dizzy and confused with all that was happening to her. "Just what the hell is going on here? Where am I and why do I have some stranger taking care of me?" She soon gasped in realization. "Hold on, where is mom and dad?" With that in mind, her legs quickly ran and led her downstairs to start looking for her parents. "Mom, Dad?" She frantically looked everywhere for the two adults in every room, including the living rooms, the kitchens, the dining rooms…how many rooms were in this damn house? "Mom, Dad!" Alex was on the brink of tears as her panic levels rose when neither of them was in sight. '_Where are they?' _Her natural personality helped her calm down and prevented herself from getting any worse than she was. Another slap on the face had done the trick. A red hand print was left behind on her cheek before she rubbed it. "Jeez, I didn't think I could hit myself _that _hard!"

"Sweetie, why are talking to yourself?" A motherly voice said.

Alex turned to see that the voice belonged to her mother. "Mom…I'm so glad that you're okay and not dead!" She leaped forward and hugged her in a laughable manner. Her face had comical tears flow down from her closed eyes. "I thought that I was the only one that had been transported to this animated world!"

Sophia blinked at her silly daughter, "Alex, sweetie, what are you talking about? I was here the entire time. You didn't know that I was in the library?"

The crying had immediately seized as Alex shot her head up at the soft toned woman. "Wait, when we did have a library? And why the heck are talking in such a sweet and innocent manner?"

"I always talk like this," Sophia only stared at her with raised eyebrows. It shouldn't be any surprise that she talked that way. It's been like that for as long as she could remember. "Are you feeling alright?" She pressed her hand on Alex's forehead. "You don't seem to be catching anything. You should probably get some rest before we head off to the school for registration."

"Registration? For what school?"

"Why, Karakura High School, of course," Her mother stated with a smile.

Alex would only stare at the smiling mother. Her eyebrows and mouth twitched with disbelief. Was she really where she thinks she is? "Bobo!" She ran top speed up the stairs and into her bedroom where Botania was still floating around in air. "Get down from there! How many times do I have to tell you?" She scolded.

"Whoops! I forgot," She went back down on her feet only to have a brunette teen furiously shake the living daylights out of her. Swirls had already replaced her gray eyes.

"Where the heck am I!" Alex yelled at the dizzy girl. She needed to know and confirm her suspicions before jumping to anymore conclusions. She stopped shaking Bobo to allow her to talk, but she sure as heck didn't let go of her small arms.

Botania had to regain consciousness before being able to speak. "It's as I told you before, I granted your first wish, with the details, and brought you into the world of Bleach. And it's from the very beginning a little while before things start to take place. Isn't that what you said?"

Alex's grip on Bobo's arm's weakened as she stared out into space with a distant yet shocked look. "I'm in the Bleach Universe." She slowly deadpanned. "Am I really in the Bleach Universe?" Her jade green eyes looked up at the star child for confirmation.

A nod from the said girl was her answer. "Just look!" She turned the T.V. on with the remote to the news channel. The news reporter was in front of a huge wreck, which they assumed it to be a possible explosion that caused the accident.

_'I remember that episode…And I certainly know that that wasn't an accident.' _"Okay, now that I definitely know that we're actually in Bleach and which episode we're in, what am I supposed to do? I can't just tell Ichigo how I know all of this. He'll just flip a table on me, literally!"

Bobo shrugged, "Don't ask me what to do. _You're_ the Bleach expert!" She was on her way out to the door until stopping in her tracks. "Oh! You still have one wish left! Would you like to use it now?"

Alex was a bit taken aback as she was notified of her last wish. Should she use it to go back home or save it for some other time? "…You know, I think I'll use it when I need it the most."

The star child smiled, "And just as a reminder, if you are to wish for something but it is bound to happen, I cannot grant the wish. So be sure that you wish carefully."_  
_

The teenager gave an exasperated sigh, although Botania was right. She needed to think before making her last wish. "Hey, Bobo," Alex crossed her arms as she closed her eyes. "If and when I do make my last wish, what will happen then?"

Botania was nearly surprised at her question. What would happen when the last wish was granted? "To be honest, I personally think that everything will stay the way it is: you would be in this universe while the other you is living in yours."

"Oh, I see…Wait, what other me?"

A sweat drop rolled down the back of Bobo head. She timidly laughed, knowing that she had completely forgot about that one little detail. "Um…well, since there are other universes, there are other versions of one's self. You for example have another Alex in this universe. But when you wished that you could be here, she switched places with you."

"So, you're telling me that the characters in the anime have another version of themselves in my universe?" Alex was just puzzled at everything that left that little girl's mouth. "If I had known this before, I wouldn't have-."

Bobo interrupted her, "Even if you didn't wish for this to happen, you wouldn't have any luck finding a single Bleach character in your universe. In other universes, it is a possibility. But in your world, it's completely different."

"…Huh?"

Bobo sighed in frustration, "It's too complicated for you to understand! Just know that your world can't have _any _anime or made up characters of the sort, okay?"

Alex nodded, for she too was getting a pounding headache with all the information being shoved into her brain. "Right now, I just want to lie down and rest." With that said, she plopped her tired self onto her new bed with her eyes closed. "Sweet dreams, take me away…"

"Alex!"

_'What the hell!' _Said girl shot right up when hearing her name being yelled out of nowhere. It came from the lady she nearly bumped into before. "Oh, it's you. What was your name again?"

"You must have hit your head real hard in order for you to forget my name!" The woman hurriedly helped Alex out of bed and led her to a door that was the closet. To her relief, the size of it seemed pretty decent and not super-sized like everything else. "It's Rosa, and you need to hurry up and get dressed!"

"Get dressed for what?"

"For school!" Rosa quickly pushed Alex into the large bathroom. "Now hurry up, take a shower, and get ready to go!"

* * *

Well, at least Alex was only ten minutes late. Apparently, the Alex in this universe had bumped her head pretty hard and ended up being unconscious for at least a day, maybe even two. '_Jeez, the me in this universe must be a real klutz or just accident prone. Even I don't hurt myself that often.' _She was out of breath from running all the way from her house to the school. Reason why there needed to be such a rush was because her mother was being forgetful and forgot that they already enrolled Alex in the day before the Alex in this universe had bumped her head. So, she had to run a whole lot of blocks just to get there. '_And I have to do this _every_ morning and afternoon until graduation. Oh, joy!'_

Karakura High School was exactly how it looked in the anime…well, back in the other world. Few students were running a little late themselves. It was good to know that she wasn't alone. Alex hurried inside with her bag in hand. The uniform fit her nicely. The buttoned up gray jacket went over a bright red shirt. It went with the red bowtie settled down on her neck. The thigh high socks felt nice on her legs. But there just had to be something worn underneath the skirt. Knowing this place, there were plenty of perverted guys that would try to sneak a peek under any of the girls' skirts. A pair of black tights did the trick.

From what Alex knew with what Rosa quickly explained to her, she belonged in the class group 1-3. Everything else that was said was all jumbled up and confusing. She found her way to the classroom and saw that class hasn't even begun yet. It brought such a great relief to Alex knowing that she didn't have to be introduced to everyone. As sneakily as she could, Alex made her way to the very back of the room. Sadly, there were already students occupying that part of the room. '_You gotta be kidding me!' _The back of every classroom was usually her safety zone. But now that it was taken away from her, she would just have to find a different spot. As long as she didn't see -.

"Hey, Ichigo!" A boy with brown hair called from the near center of the room.

"Morning, Keigo," the orange headed boy replied back as he came in through the slide door.

_'Crap! Why does this always happen to me? Just why?' _With one glance at the tall boy, the fangirl inside of Alex nearly broke free. She was so close to squealing like a pig. But thanks to her natural personality, she was able to keep calm. A small yet strange feeling came up in her chest as she continued to glance at the main character. '_Okay, why is my chest feeling weird?' _The more her green eyes looked over at Ichigo, the more the feeling in the chest slightly grew. In annoyance, Alex pounded her chest to make it stop. '_Stop that, chest! Quit making me feel weird!' _If only she knew what that feeling was. But Alex was still young. It could just be hormones.

Pushing that aside, Alex searched for a desk to sit in. It would have to be a good distance away from the characters she knew all too well. It would be best to avoid getting to know them just for today. '_Yeah, that sounds like a plan. It shouldn't be so hard for me.'_ But it _was_ hard for her. Her friendly nature had gotten the best of her and she had already made friends with Tatsuki Arisawa and, of course, Orihime Inoue. Alex couldn't help it! She loved making new friends.

Later on when the lunch bell rang, Alex's two new friends had invited her to join them for lunch. She gladly accepted and sat down next to them at a table.

Tatsuki wanted to know more about this new girl, so she started to ask her a few questions. "So Alex, I'm guessing by the way your name looks, you must be from America. Which state did you move from?"

Thankfully, Rosa told her why they were in Japan. "I used to live in North Dakota, but then we moved here to Japan because of my dad landing a new job. It pays real good money." '_But I still don't get how we were able to afford a freakin' mansion!' _Alex had to bite her tongue to prevent that thought from spilling out.

"Alex, what did you say your last name was again?" Orihime asked. Her lunch was of course one of the weirdest combinations Alex had ever seen. No one knew how all of that crazy food was able to digest without having any problems.

"Rosewood."

"Really? That's a pretty name, Alex!" she happily said.

Alex smiled at the laughing girl, "Thanks, Orihime! I really do appreciate it."

"Hey, I got another question that I want to ask," Tatsuki spoke up. "Why were you acting so weird this morning before class started? You kept hitting your chest and tried to avoid talking to anyone. Is there something wrong?"

_'Dammit! She saw me!' _Her eyebrow twitched as a sheepish smile came on her face. "Oh, that? Well, I was uh…" '_Think, brain, think!'_ "Checking to see if I was choking! Yeah, that's it." Thankfully, they had bought it. She didn't want people thinking strangely about the way she acted. And Alex certainly didn't want Ichigo and his friends to think that way either! Knowing Keigo, he would just stare at her with stars in his eyes like an idiot. Men these days.

Lunch ended, and it was time to resume to class. The rest of the day wasn't so bad, especially since it was Alex's first day. When the last bell rang, everyone headed out to go where they needed to. Alex and Orihime waved after Tatsuki, for she had training at her Dojo. At the gates of the school, both girls separated and said their goodbyes. '_Mission accomplished! Well, sort of. But at least I didn't-' _Her thoughts were interrupted by an abrupt bump into someone. "My bad! I'll be sure that I watch where I'm. . .going." In front of her was the one man that she tried her best to avoid meeting. '_Ah, crap. And again, why is it always me?'_

"Don't worry about it. No harm, no foul." Ichigo at first blinked at the brown headed girl before saying anything. She seemed familiar to him. It didn't help at all knowing that he was terrible with names and faces. "Hey, do I know you from somewhere?" He tried getting a better look at her face as he slightly bent forward.

Alex knew that she wasn't that tall, but she wasn't that short either. So why in the world did he have to bend forward at all? '_I can never understand these peoples sometimes.' _"I'm Alex Rosewood. I'm in the same class as you."'

". . .You sure?"

A vein throbbed over her eyes. But she had to be patient with Ichigo. He never was good with the names and faces. "I'm sure."

"Hm," Ichigo straightened himself up. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Alex. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki."

She nodded with a small smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Ichigo!" That darn feeling in her chest was starting to come up again. Alex was already beating her chest again in annoyance. '_Would you stop doing that!'_

"Uhhh. . . Are you. . .okay?" Ichigo only stared at her with confused, brown eyes. '_Is there something wrong with this girl?'_

"Hm? Oh!" Alex laughed, embarrassed that she actually did that in front of him. "Yeah! I was just making sure that I wasn't choking." '_It doesn't hurt to say the same thing to Ichigo. Besides, it sounds pretty believable.'_

"Oh, well, later then." He gave a short wave before walking off in the direction of his house, which was the Kurosaki Clinic.

She, too, was going to head on home until noticing where her home was located. '_Really? Are you freakin' serious!' _"Actually, I live in this direction." Alex quickly caught up with him. "So I guess we'll be walking home from now on, huh?" _'Gosh__, I hope I didn't sound like some kind of stalker.'_

"Guess so," Ichigo continued walking without another word.

_'Oh. . . That went better than expected.' _She stole a quick glance at him then looked ahead of her. '_As long as I don't talk so much, I should be able to make a good impression. Have to make sure I don't creep out the main character.' _So, the two high school students walked in silence. They came to Ichigo's place first, which meant a longer walk all by herself for Alex.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Alex stopped as Ichigo was going to head to his gates, "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Not once did his scowl leave his peach colored face. Ichigo nodded as he gave one last wave before walking through the gates of his home. He just had to act like a tough guy.

_'I better get going before it gets dark.' _Alex started walking the way home in silence. Today really was a good first day here. It wouldn't be so bad staying here, although she did hope that her parents back in her own universe were doing okay with this universe's Alex. '_I just hope that everything will be alright. . .'_

The walk back home felt pretty short. Alex was only several yards away from her house when the cry of a monster reached her ears. Her green eyes widened in fear, for that sound only came from one being, and one being only. "A…A Hollow!" Forgetting about everything, Alex hurriedly ran toward the Kurosaki clinic. If her guess was right, then Rukia must have already met with Ichigo, and that little girl's soul had already given the Hollow exactly what he needed: Ichigo's scent. Which meant that by now, the Hollow was already on its way to find Ichigo.

* * *

_**I think that those who have watched Bleach know what is to happen. But don't tell anyone else that hasn't! **_

_**Any who, be sure to leave a review! (If you want to, really. It's your choice. Good or bad.)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hellooooooo readers! Here is the third chapter of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star! I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! And by the way, I'm re-watching the series to see what details I might have to take out, replace, or put in. So, if there's anything that you would like to be included in any of the chapters, just send a PM and I'll see what I can do. Other than that, the characters and original plot of Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo and not me. I am only responsible for the slight changes and my own characters. **_

_**Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"This is bad. This is _really _bad!" Alex ran as fast as her legs could take her. The cry of the Hollow was still ringing in her ears. It was in the direction of Ichigo's home, better known as the Kurosaki Clinic. If her guess was right, then Rukia must already be with Ichigo in his room. The Hollow has finally gotten Ichigo's scent from the little girl that he visited yesterday and today. Alex needed to kick it in high gear and hurry before the white masked beast arrived at the clinic. She had to warn them about the Hollow! _But from what I remember from watching this episode, Ichigo had already sensed and heard the Hollow coming. But Rukia couldn't do so for Ichigo was blocking her senses.'_

The faster Alex ran, the closer she was to her destination. One thing that motivated her the most was the Hollow's cry. It neared toward the clinic with each passing moment. '_Dammit! If I don't get there soon…'_ Screaming could be heard from where Alex was. '_Oh no, that's Ichigo's little sisters! Am I too late?' _Shaking her head, Alex dropped the thought and kept on running.

Up ahead was in fact the Hollow that was howling from before. It seems like it had destroyed a part of the house and had Karin Kurosaki in its grasp. "Put me down!" Karin demanded as she struggled to be released from the monsters hold.

Alex stopped in her place and stood a few meters away in a near paralysis state. "What…What the hell is going on? Why can't I move my body?" She felt the amount of spiritual pressure that surrounded the area. Alex could feel and hear Ichigo struggling to break free from the kido* spell that Rukia placed on him. Once he finally broke free, he grabbed a nearby chair and charged at the Hollow.

"Ichigo, get me outta here!" Karin shouted.

Ichigo tried to harm the beast but only ended up getting sent flying into the parking lot near the home. "Karin!" Ichigo had a hard time getting back up. But the punch didn't have that much effect on his body.

The Hollow turned to Ichigo. Hunger could be seen in those yellow eyes. "I've found you!" He reached over to grab him.

"Ichigo, watch out!" Alex shouted. She was started to regain some feeling in her muscles and nerves. Thankfully, he heard just in time and quickly dodged out of the way. Rumble and dust flew from where he used to be.

_'Alex? What is she doing here!' _Ichigo wondered if she too had the ability to see spirits just as he did. And from the looks of it, it was safe to say that she could. But that also meant Alex was in danger as well. "Alex, get out of here! It's not safe!"

While Ichigo tried to warn Alex, Rukia inflicted a wound on the Hollow's arm. The cut caused it to howl in pain as it let go of Karin. Ichigo saw this and hurriedly ran and slid forward to catch her once she fell out the hand. The Hollow fled back to someplace else through a dark portal. Alex ran over to Ichigo and his sister as he stared in shock and fear at his unconscious sibling. "Karin, no!"

"Don't worry. She'll be alright," Rukia jumped in front of Ichigo and Alex with her sword out. "The Hollow left without devouring either of your sisters' souls."

"Are you sure?" Ichigo looked up.

"Yes. It's seeking a specific soul, one with a much higher concentration of spirit energy… In fact, the Hollow earlier was hungry for that soul too; not the girl's."

Ichigo was becoming even more frightened and confused by the second, "But, why?"

"For some reason, most of your spirit energy was hidden deep within you until now, when you needed it to save your sister," She paused, looking for the Hollow that vanished. It was bound to come back soon. "That's why I didn't sense anything unusual about you when I arrived. It also explains why the Hollows haven't come after you."

As Rukia was explaining everything to Ichigo, Alex was shaking furiously with fear. She couldn't believe that all of this really was happening to her. All of it was real, and now she too was a part of it. Alex was beginning to regret ever testing out that wish. If only she believed Bobo from the start, she wouldn't have been in this mess.

Rukia continued on, "The spirit energy that was bottled up inside you started to pour out when you make contact with the little girl's ghost. As a result: your soul became exposed. Those two Hollows detected your soul through that girl's ghost and were using her to track it down. Which means," Rukia looked behind her shoulder to face Ichigo and Alex, Ichigo in particular, "the hollows are really after you."

The young boy couldn't exactly understand what was going on. He only stared with fright in his brown eyes, "Those things…want me?"

The Hollow that fled returned through the same dark opening. Rukia readied herself in a fighting stance, "It's back! Get out of here, now, both of you!"

"No!" Being the man he is, Ichigo stood up from the ground. He gave Karin to Alex without needing to exchange words. She was able to understand what he was getting at and nodded before taking and watching over his dear sister. "So the vicious attacks on that poor girl were because of me?"

Rukia casually answered to him, "That's one way to look at it."

"And now both of my sisters could wound up dead and it's all my fault?"

"Ichigo…" Alex could sense how much guilt Ichigo felt right now. If she were in his shoes, she wouldn't be too happy to be at fault for the cause of the younger siblings' fate.

Out of anger, Ichigo ran forward in front of the Hollow. Rukia warned him, for he didn't know what he was getting himself into. "No, stop!"

But unfortunately, the determined boy didn't listen and stood before the beast. "Coward, quit attacking others! It's my soul you want; come and get it!"

_'He really is a fool,' _Rukia thought. '_Just what does he think he will accomplish from doing this? I have to do something before it's too late.'_

"Fight me one on one you ugly bastard!" He jutted a thumb to himself, waiting for the Hollow's response.

As expected, the Hollow howled and lunged forward to devour his soul.

"Oh, no!" Rukia needed to act quickly before he would be a goner.

Alex watched while time felt as though it slowed down. As the Hollow was about to strike and chomp down on the defenseless boy, Rukia leaped in between them and sacrificed herself to stop the Hollow. Blood splattered everywhere, and both high school students went wide-eyed. Ichigo couldn't believe it. Half of Rukia's body was inside the Hollow's mouth. She used her blade to slice one of its teeth. It soon let go of Rukia. The Hollow cried in pain, grabbing its face while moving away to make it stop.

Rukia was back on the ground on her feet, but it didn't last for long. She fell to her knees before falling face down on the hard concrete. Ichigo called out for her. "Soul Reaper!" He didn't move from his spot. All he could do was stare in shock at the bloodied body of the Soul Reaper.

After a moment or two of lying still, Rukia's body twitched. Something could be heard from her while she panted heavily. "You…are a fool!"

Even Alex was a bit taken aback from her cruel yet true words. How could she be so mean to Ichigo after saving his life? Yeah, he didn't know better, but that doesn't mean she had to be so hard on him!

"How could you possibly think…you were any match for a Hollow?" Said beast was still holding onto his face. "Did you really think that everything would be over if you gave him your soul? One soul doesn't satisfy them for long." Her hand was used for support as Rukia faced the shocked boy. "If you don't stop interfering, we're all going to end up as its food!" Some of her dark hair covered nearly all of her beaten up face. As she spoke, the Hollow continued clutching onto its entire face with both hands.

Rukia got up from the ground and crawled over to a nearby lamp post, taking her sword along with her. "I'm too weak to fight. Do you…want to save your family and friend?"

"Of course I do!" He watched and waited for what the Soul Reaper was planning to do now. "If there's a way, then tell me how?"

The Soul Reaper was now leaning against the pole. She took her sword and tried balancing it and points it at him, "It will only be temporary, but you must become…a Soul Reaper yourself."

"What?" Ichigo was now completely in shock.

Rukia explained further. "You must take my Zanpakuto and run it through the center of your being, so that I may pour my powers into you!" The Hollow took its hands away from his eyes and mouth. It looked pissed as it glared its yellow eyes at them. The Hollow was now ready to attack. "I can't guarantee that you will live. But if it doesn't work, it won't matter." The monster stomped toward Ichigo and Rukia.

Ichigo now had a slight smirk on his face, "Then give me that blade, Soul Reaper."

"My name is Rukia, Rukia Kuchiki." The Hollow was getting closer and closer to the pair. It charged forward, ready to eat them both.

Ichigo took hold of the sword with both hands. "And my name is. . ." It leaped forward to attack, "Ichigo…Kurosaki." He plunged the sword into his being. A burst of blue light shot outwards, nearly blinding Alex. The Hollow was still heading toward them but ended up losing its left arm. The cause behind the chopped off arm you ask? Well now, the answer to that question would be Ichigo's new form and abilities.

Alex's green eyes had widened in awe. The boy was now wearing a Shihakusho that only Soul Reapers wore. On his back was an over-sized, brown sheath being held by a belt-like strap that was worn across his chest. In Ichigo's right hand was a much larger Zanpakuto. He brought it up and leaned it on his shoulder. The amount of power he now has forced a circle of dust to move away from him.

Rukia, however, was left with barely any power left. She wore a simple, white robe instead of the attire she once had. '_How could this have happened? I meant to only give him half of my powers, but somehow he has taken nearly all of it!' _She looked down at her new clothing as the wounds were still there.

"This ends, now!" Ichigo brought Rukia out of her thoughts for a moment. He made her look up in astonishment.

_What kind of being is he? _Ichigo charged forward with his new sword. '_I've never seen a human being with spirit energy _this _strong. That's what was jamming my senses before!' _He continued toward the Hollow as it was also preparing for another attack. '_I've never heard of a human with enough strength to break a kido on his own.' _Ichigo brought his sword up high with both hands on the hilt. '_And I have never seen a Soul Reaper wield such a huge Zanpakuto!' _He chopped off one of the Hollows feet while it began to lose its balance. It slowly fell forward.

Ichigo's scowl was back on his face as he readied himself once more. "You'll pay the price for hurting my family, you Hollow scum." The hollow howled as it faced its doom. "Feel the wrath of my blade!" Ichigo shouted a battle cry, aiming and swinging his Zanpakuto straight down the middle of the Hollow. The beast froze in its place while dissipating into a dark substance. Rukia stared in awe as well as Alex. Ichigo's sword stayed down with both hands still on the handle. He didn't look up from the ground. From this moment on, Ichigo Kurosaki was now a high school student and also a Soul Reaper.

* * *

"Gooooood Morniiiiiiing Ichigoooo! Heeyah!" The father of Ichigo Kurosaki came out of nowhere and landed on his sleeping son. However, Ichigo quickly reacted before impact and grabbed his dad's face. He pinned him down while growling and held up a clenched fist.

"You nuts! What kind of sick, twisted freak would attack his own son while he's just lying there sleeping?"

His dad struggled while answering, "You are getting good! It looks like there's nothing for me to teach you, my son."

Before doing anything else, Ichigo remembered the events of the evening before. "Wait a minute," he grabbed his father by the collar. "What about Karin and Yuzu's injuries from last night?"

The dad, also known as Isshin Kurosaki, only blinked at his son. A hand print was left behind from Ichigo's grip on his face. "Injuries? What are you talking about?"

"What?" It didn't make any sense. How can his dad not have noticed the injuries on both of his sisters? And what ever happened to Alex?

Everything was even more confusing when everyone went outside to the front of their home. The big, gaping hole was still there, as well as the broken furniture of the dining room. "It's a miracle!" Isshin said while having his hands at his sides. They all looked at the damage with shock and surprise. "A truck plows into our home and none of us gets so much as a single scratch!"

"What's more miraculous is the fact that none of us even woke up when it happened," Karin while crossing her arms. She stared at her freak of a father as he smiled in satisfactory.

_'I don't get it._ _Their wounds are completely gone!' _Ichigo didn't exactly understand what was going on. '_They think that a truck did all this? Could this have been the work of that Soul Reaper?' _Karin and Yuzu went ahead inside as their older brother continued to stare at the hole.

Yuzu stopped and held her ladle up., "Ichigo, you better hurry and eat breakfast or you're going to be late!"

"Yeah…" He didn't look at her and kept staring out at the damaged wall. '_I wonder if she went back to that place she was talking about, the Soul Society.'_

Meanwhile, Alex ran toward Karakura High. With the memories of what happened still lingering her mind, she just couldn't believe it. '_I actually witnessed Rukia transferring her powers to Ichigo! And now, he's a Soul Reaper!' _Even in her head, it still sounded unbelievable. She wore the same uniform of Karakura High like the one from yesterday. Underneath this one was a royal blue tank top. On her feet were black socks that went all the way up to her thighs. She also had on white shoes. Just like yesterday, Alex wore tights under her skirt. You can't be too careful. Upon entering her class, Alex immediately saw that Ichigo wasn't there yet. '_I hope that he and his sisters are alright…'_

Lunch time came, and Tatsuki and Orihime once again wanted the new girl to eat with them. The three girls were walking down the hallway. "Orihime, did you bring lunch today?" Tatsuki asked the ginger.

She nodded in reply, "Mhm! Leftover Taiyaki style Ramen with Wasabi and Honey! Would you like some Tatsuki, Alex?"

Just imagining the combination made both girls a little sick to the stomach. Alex kindly declined her offer, "That's alright, Orihime. I brought my own lunch."

"Yeah," Tatsuki agreed. "I'm okay, too."

"Aw, but it's really good!" She pouts. As they neared a corner, Ichigo accidentally bumped into Orihime. She fell down and all of her things were scattered.

"Oh, it's you. Hey, Orihime." Wow, he didn't apologize or even help her up.

Sweet Orihime was so kind enough to apologize, even when she was the victim, "Oh, I'm sorry!"

Tatsuki wouldn't stand for it though, "Ichigo, you knock her down and that's all you can say? What the heck's the matter with you?"

"Sorry about that!" He looked over at the fallen girl. "Are you gonna be alright?"

Orihime sheepishly nodded.

"Here," Ichigo offered to help her up. But when Orihime faced him, the way he looked at her kind of scared her a little.

"Oh no, that's alright, really!" She stood up herself, forgetting about the scattered books. "I have v-v-volleyball! That's right!" At first her words were stammered and came out all weird. "Volleyball, bye-bye!" And without another word, Orihime ran off in the other direction.

"What's with her?"

_'Ichigo, you can be so clueless sometimes, you know?' _Alex sweat dropped at him with a twitching smile.

"What could it be? Maybe it was your ugly mug," Tatsuki said. "By the way, why are you so late? I mean, it's time for lunch already."

Ichigo stared at Tatsuki then looked away. "Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll tell you later," He then walked off and left the black haired girl with a questioning expression.

_ To be honest, _Alex placed a thoughtful finger on her chin. _I do wonder if he's still worried about me and what happened last night...__  
_

"Hey, Ichigo," Keigo, Mizuiro, and Chad were around Ichigo's seat as they discussed about the events of last night. "I heard a truck ran into your house last night, dude!"

"Pretty much," He confirmed it as he sat down at his desk.

"So, did you clean it all up yet?" Mizuiro asked.

"What, are you kidding? It's going to take forever!"

Chad spoke up with a kind offer, "Need any help?"

Ichigo turned and stared at the freakishly tall boy before sweat dropping. He gave a nervous smile as he kindly turned him down, "That's okay."

As Alex walked back into the classroom, she saw someone slowly approach the group of boys. "Is that…? Oh no," once she got a better look at the girl, the brunette just had to watch and see how this was going to turn out.

"Hello! You're Ichigo, aren't you?"

Said boy turned around and saw that the girl was actually Rukia dressed up in the school's uniform. He immediately recognized her and stared at her in shock.

"I'll be sitting next to you from now on. My name is Rukia." The way she said it was just a perfect imitation of an innocent school girl. Boy, she was just that good at acting. And sure enough, Ichigo abruptly got up from his seat while pointing an accusing finger at the so called 'sweet' girl.

"It's…It's you!"

His friends were a little surprised that Ichigo knew the new girl already. Keigo was wondering why he was acting like that to her, "Hey, Ichigo, what's wrong with you?"

"You two know each other?" Chad wondered as his friend was reacting in such a strange way.

Rukia kept the 'goody two-shoes' act up as she denied Chad's suspicion. "'Course not! We've never met before. Isn't that right Ichigo?" Without anyone else noticing, except for Alex, Rukia pretended to shake Ichigo's hand but really showed him a message written on her hand. It read, 'Make a scene and you're dead'. As a response, Ichigo was just flat out frightened at the Soul Reaper. Alex tried not to laugh. This was just too good.

* * *

Outside, Ichigo and Rukia were having a conversation about why she was there in the first place. Alex sneakily followed and made sure to stay out of site.

To sum it all up, Rukia had confessed that she was a Soul Reaper no more, and that Ichigo had taken nearly all of her powers. As for the reason why everyone else was able to see her, Rukia explained that she was now in a Gigai. It served as a vessel for Soul Reapers during an emergency. Until her powers return, she was stuck in that form. She then told him that it was now his duty to take her place and become a Substitute Soul Reaper. The response was at first a confused Ichigo and then a refusing one.

"No way!" He made an 'X' with his hands to turn her down.

"What?" Rukia was taken aback when he automatically refused.

"My monster fighting days are over. That was a one-time thing!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ichigo!" She argued. "You did just fine yesterday!"

He dropped his arms by his sides, "That was only because my family and Alex were in danger. But it's not like I'm ready to fight for complete strangers or anything! Sorry to disappoint you." And with that said, Ichigo walked off.

Alex was starting to have that weird feeling in her chest again. But this time, she left it alone. It was nice to know that Ichigo really was worried about her safety, along with his sisters'. '_He may seem to be such a grouch, but underneath all of that was a kind and protective man. Besides, his name says it all.' _She was about to leave the site as well, but something tells her that this wasn't over just yet.

Rukia wasn't exactly going to take no for an answer. "I see." She brought out a red, fingerless glove with a flaming skull on the back and put it on. "Guess there's no other choice then." Before he could walk any further, "Hey!"

Ichigo turned around to see what Rukia had to talk about this time. But all he got as a reply was a charging Rukia that slammed her hand right into him. The gloved hand forced his soul out of his body. Ichigo's now empty body fell faced down on the ground. And Ichigo didn't exactly take it so well. "Ah, crap, what happened to my body!" He looked at his new attire, "What in the world did you to me?"

Without answering his question, "Follow me." Rukia then started to walk off to who knows where.

Ichigo soon followed but sensed that someone else was watching them. He turned to see a pair of white shoes and realized that it was probably one of his friends or classmates. "Get out from over there!" Once they did, Ichigo recognized the person to be the girl from last night. "Alex? What are you doing here? Wait, you can see me?"

The brunette nodded with a timid smile, "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to be eavesdropping on you and Rukia. But if there's anything that you need help with, I'm your gal!"

"Hm," Ichigo looked over at his limp body. "If it's not too much to ask, can you watch over my body until we get back?"

"Of course!"

He gave a curt nod before following after Rukia.

Alex called after him, hoping that he would hear her, "Oh, and thank you for protecting me last night, Ichigo!"

Ichigo nearly tripped but looked over his shoulder, "You're welcome!" He then ran off after Rukia to see what exactly she wanted to show him.

Jade green eyes watched as the Substitute Soul Reaper left with Rukia. Alex went over to the lain down body of Ichigo and picked it up before laying his head in her lap. To make it seem as though he were asleep, she closed his eyelids. ,_I hope I know what I'm getting myself into. But to be honest, I could care less about what happens to me.,_

"Aww, does somebody have a thing for Mr. Tough Guy?" Bobo came out of nowhere as she floated above the now pissed off girl.

"How many friggin' times do I have to tell you to stop floating around like that?" Alex grabbed the star child by the pigtails and brought her down next to her. "And why are you here?"

Botania rubbed her butt and head in pain. She didn't have to pull her down _that_ hard! "Well, I was going to tell you about a side effect for staying in this universe and getting comfortable so quickly."

Alex blinked in surprise, "Side effects?"

"Mhm. You see, if you are to start getting used to this new life of yours, you are soon to lose memories of your old life. But to clarify it even further," she saw that the teen was going to freak out, "the only memories you are to really lose are of this anime."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that the memories you have of the future episodes and what is to happen will be completely erased. It is forbidden for a human or any other species to know of what is to happen in a world other than their own. But in yours, it is alright, for it is an anime."

Alex had to think about it for a second, "So, what you're saying is that I won't have any memory of ever watching the anime and its episodes?"

"That's right!"

"Oh, well, that's just perfect!"

Bobo was a little surprised to see that Alex's reaction wasn't as bad as the other ones. "Really?" She spoke too soon.

"Hell no it's not!"

* * *

_**Ah! You gotta love Bobo and Alex! I realize that I have been putting in plenty of details and dialogues from the first two episodes, but if it bothers a few people, I'll be sure to sum it up as much as I can. As I said before, I'm re-watching the entire series of Bleach.**_

_**As for the footnote: Kido is a form of combat that is based on advanced spells Soul Reapers use for either direct attacks or battle support (Hado, and Bakudo). **_

_**Don't forget to review! And yes, I like adding numerous exclamation points.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hello, hello! I can't believe that I already have so many reviews. And it's only been a few days! Plus there are only three chapters! But anyways, read on!**_

_**The disclaimer is the same as the others. **_

_**Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"If you didn't really think that it was such a great thing, then why in the world did you say it was perfect!?" Bobo was yelling at Alex for confusing her like that. How was she supposed to know the difference when someone is using sarcasm?

"Because I felt like it, and you deserved to be yelled at!" Alex had to make sure that she didn't move around too much. Ichigo's empty body laid its head on her lap facing up and eyes closed. "It doesn't matter anyways. How could you not have told me this before? Do you have any idea how relieved I was from being able to know what's going to happen? It made me feel like I can actually _do _something here."

Bobo started to giggle out of nowhere. She held onto her quivering mouth and held in the laughter. Whatever she was laughing about, it must have been pretty hilarious.

"You really think that this is funny?" Alex couldn't believe this girl! She had no idea that Botania could be so cruel at her misery. "Oh, so I guess you enjoy other people's pain, don't you? I bet that every other star child or whatever is just like you!" She crossed her arms and looked the other way. Alex still heard short giggles come out from behind her. "Okay," now she was pissed. "What the hell is your deal, huh!?" A vein furiously throbbed over her comically wide eyes. Her face was similar to that of Chibi.

The small girl busted out laughing. She clutched onto her sides as comical tears left her closed eyes. Bobo was nearly rolling on the ground laughing her butt. Alex only stared angrily at the laughing girl. _She really does have some serious issues._

After a while later, Botania was finally able to stop. "I'm so, but the way you reacted that time was just too funny!"

Three dots appeared one by one behind the brunette. Instead of being angry, Alex was just flat out confused. "…Huh?"

"Sorry! I just had to lighten up the mood. But I guess it kind of back fired." Bobo lifted herself off the ground. "By the way, you never did tell me which episode you stopped at."

Alex blinked at the child like she was crazy, although she kind of is. "Well, I think the last place I left off was episode…267."

"Wow! And how many are there in total?"

The brunette shrugged. "I'm not quite sure yet. But there are plenty of them to watch." She stared down at the 'sleeping' body of Ichigo. "Why did you want to know?"

Bobo smiled at Alex. "Just curious is all! Oh, and by the way, are you _sure_ that you don't like-."

The high school student threatened the star child with a tight fist. "Quit asking me that before I knock you upside the head!" Veins were throbbing all over the back of Alex's head. What is it with little kids being so darn curious and persistent!? To calm herself down, Alex took a deep breath and exhaled. "Anyways, so you're saying that I really can keep my memories?"

"As long as you don't change _too_ many things, it should be alright. But I have to warn you, Alex. If you're not careful with the information you hold, things could get pretty ugly. And people are going to say something, especially the people of the Soul Society."

Alex nodded in understanding, "I'll be sure that I watch myself."

"Good! Oh, here they come!" In the blink of an eye, Bobo twirled on her sparkly gray boots and vanished into thin air. Stardust flew everywhere once she left.

She was about to ask just who 'they' were until realizing what Bobo meant. Ichigo and Rukia returned from wherever they had gone. Ichigo thanked Alex for watching over his body before putting his soul back inside of it. Ichigo, Rukia, and Alex all went back inside. When the school day was over, all of the students went home.

As Alex arrived at her house, she was greeted in a goofy manner by her father. His appearance was similar to the one in the other universe. But the personality was just ridiculous. "My dear, sweet daughter, Alex, I'm so happy to see that you're home safe and sound!" Ted, the father, nearly suffocated the girl with the amount of force he used to hug her. It was like Alex had her own version of Ichigo's dad. "I'm so glad that none of those boys at that school has taken advantage of you!"

"Dad, would you GET OFF OF ME?!" Alex socked her father square in the face. It forced him off of her. "I don't know what you think I am. But I'm certainly not a sweet and innocent little girl!" She placed her hands on her hips. "I'll have you know that this chick right here doesn't allow even a single finger to touch this body without my permission!"

If only Alex said the right words. "You're permission?!" Her dad shot his head up. It would have been his entire body, but it was still a little numb as it lay on the marble floor in a weird form. "I believe that you meant to say 'my father's' permission!"

Alex stared at her dad with a blank face and frown. "Nope, I meant my permission."

Ted sulked over her final decision and went in some corner. Dark lines shadowed over him as he poked at the ground with a finger. "My little girl is growing up; she doesn't need me to protect her anymore…"

Sophia and Rosa came into the room to see what all of the commotion was about. When they saw that Ted was sulking in a nearby corner, both had sweat dropped at the poor man. "Oh, sweetie, you don't have to be so down about it. It's a good thing that our daughter is starting to take care of herself!" Sophia walked over to her husband. She kneeled down on both knees while patting his back. "She's fourteen, dear, and that means she's a young woman. There are times when we can still treat Alex as our little baby, but then there are times when we must let her do things on her own. Do you understand now, Ted?"

Ted sniffled as he nodded his head. "I understand, darling."

Sophia smiled sweetly. "Good. Now let's hurry and eat dinner before it gets cold. You know how Rosa is when her food gets cold."

"That's right! Now get you behinds in the dining hall and eat your dinner!" Rosa ordered as she hurried them into the dining hall.

The Rosewoods and their only maid enjoyed a wonderful meal. Everyone was mighty full and couldn't possibly eat another bite. Although, they just might have room for dessert. So after finished eating dessert, _then _they couldn't have another bite. The family and maid cleaned up after themselves. Even if they did have someone for that job, it still wouldn't be right if they could clearly do it themselves. Once being completely done with everything, everyone went to their bedrooms and prepared to go to bed. Each and every one of them had their rooms in different locations of the large house. Alex, for example, was staying in a bedroom upstairs near the far side of the east wing. It did in fact take a couple of minutes just to get there.

A tired and full Alex sighed as she entered her bedroom. She placed her bag on one of the cushion chairs seated at the coffee table. Plopping down onto her bed, Alex thought about all that happened today. Most of it was just unbelievable. "So now I don't remember have that much memory on the future episodes anymore. Well, all except for a few… But other than that, they were all gone. She will have to experience the events when they occur on their own. Another sigh left Alex. "Man, this sucks!" She got up from the bed and went to her bathroom to take a shower before putting on her night clothes. Alex had then gone to bed, hoping that her nightmares would not disturb at all.

"Morning, everybody!" Alex greeted to her friends. A couple of weeks have passed by now. A lot has happen in that time as well. The students of Karakura High School were all wearing their summer uniform. The bottoms for both sexes were still the same. The only thing that was different was the tops. The females wore a white, buttoned up shirt with the same red bow. The males also wore a white but with a blue and yellow striped tie, except that it was optional. Both sets of uniforms had a breast pocket.

"Morning, Alex!" Ichigo replied back. He was of course with his usual group of crazy friends. He waved for her to come over.

Alex saw and went to see what he needed to ask of her. "What it is, Ichigo?"

He leaned in close to make sure that no one else would hear them. "Have any Hollows tried to come after you? Or did you at least see any of them?"

She shook her head no. So he _does_ worry about Alex's safety! Then again, it's kind of expected since Ichigo was a protective guy. "Why? Is there something wrong? Has anyone else seen one? If so, then who is it?"

"Hey, take it easy will ya?" Ichigo had to stop her before she would continue bombarding him with multiple questions. This wasn't 20Q. "And I was only asking because two of our friends have been attacked by a hollow. One of them was Orihime's dead brother, Sora. The other was chasing after that talking cockatiel."

"You mean the one that Chad had?" Ichigo nodded. "Well, from the looks of it, I'm just glad that they're both alright…" Alex allowed her jade green eyes fall to both students' feet.

The older of the two placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "Look, there's no need for you to worry about it, alright? As long as I'm a Substitute Soul Reaper, everything should be fine. Besides," he made her look up at him, "I don't exactly like it when any of my friends or family is sad because I wasn't able to protect someone." His usual scowl wasn't there. All Alex saw was a smirk, just like the one from that night.

Alex smiled while nodding her head. Ichigo was right. No one will be killed on his watch, especially people that mean something to him. "Right!"

"Good morning!" Rukia had arrived late due to stopping by at Urahara's Shop. But she obviously wasn't going to tell the rest of the class about that. "Hi everyone, how are you?" She was also the only one still wearing the other uniform.

"Oh, hey! Good morning, Rukia." A boy with dark hair greeted.

"Ah, looking lovely as always, Rukia!" Another boy, with brown hair, replied to her greeting.

Rukia soon walked toward the group of teens with a smile being covered by her hand. Mizuiro was wondering why she was late. "Uh, this isn't like you. It's already third period."

She giggled, "Sorry, something came up!" That sweet girl act sure was working on them. "By the way Ichigo, um, can I steal you for a moment?" She was doing that sweet and innocent girl act again.

"Huh? What do you want?" Ichigo went over to Rukia. "If you wanna talk, then let's do it here." Sadly for him, that wasn't going to happen.

Rukia punched him square in the stomach and dragged him away. "Oh, Ichigo, what just happened? I better get you to the nurse's office!"

Keigo, Mizuiro, Chad, and Alex all stared after the two. They sweat dropped as they tried to understand what just happened. "Uh, did she just hit Ichigo?" Mizuiro asked.

"I didn't see a thing." Keigo said as his eyes were indeed closed. A slight blush was on his cheeks, and that made Alex want to smack him upside the head.

"Wow, Keigo, you sure are blinded by women's looks." She deadpanned.

Mizuiro agreed with her. "You got that right!"

Ichigo and Rukia were now on the roof again. "Here." The dark haired girl passed the tall boy tossed him the item she bought at Urahara's store.

He caught and gave it a few strange looks. "What's this supposed to be?"

Rukia crossed her arms as she stood behind a metal fence. "Gikongan: substitute soul pills, tablets that force souls from the flesh. Just swallow one and a substitute soul will enter the body, so the real one can roam free."

By now, Alex hid in her usual spot on while overhearing Rukia's explanation.

"If the time comes when you face a Hollow alone and I'm not around, you can use them to transform into a Soul Reaper."

Ichigo kept staring at the item. Its appearance was pretty weird to him. "It's got 'Soul Candy' written right on here."

"Oh, that's only because the Soul Society's Women League complained. They didn't like Gikongan. They said that it wasn't cute enough, so they decided to change it." Rukia explained, seeming a little annoyed that the Women's League didn't find that the official and proper name for the pill was appropriate in their perspective.

"Okay," Ichigo held it closer to his face, "then why is it a duck?"

That had ticked Rukia off. "Oh, shut up! I didn't even order that one, alright? I asked for Chappy the Rabbit!"

"Okay, so you wanted one shaped like a rabbit then, huh?"

She grabbed onto the edge of the fence. "What's that? What did you just say?" Here we go again. "How dare you mock me, you imbecile!" Rukia hopped over and started to hurt Ichigo right on his head using her foot.

Alex winced from the looks of how much that must have hurt. _I'm glad I'm not that stupid enough to piss her off! _

"It's not bad! It's just that..I didn't understand your explanation is all!" Ichigo struggled to keep his head up from the foot that tried to crush his skull.

Rukia was still going at it. "Go ahead! Swallow one and it'll all be clear!"

And so, once Rukia's foot finally found itself off of Ichigo's orange head, he pushed the head of the dispenser and swallowed one of the pills. At first, he felt a strange feeling in his body. Then, he came out of his own body as his soul separated itself from it. The lifeless body gently landed on the metal fence. Half of its body hanged over it. Too bad for Alex that she was pretty close to that spot. _Why is it always me? _She whined.

Ichigo looked down at himself and saw that he was indeed a Soul Reaper. "Huh? I'm out of my body!"

Rukia stared at him with an obvious look. "Oh, don't be so shocked. Inside that empty shell of a body resides a substitute soul." She then pointed at Ichigo's lifeless body. "And no one will even notice that you're true soul is gone!"

_No one, except for me. _Alex had to make sure that a single sound didn't escape through her mouth. She looked up to see that the body was now moving. The eyes seemed shadowed for a moment as it slowly got up. It took nearly most of her patient and strength to not freak out and let them hear her. _What the heck!?_

"What?" Ichigo too was pretty shocked at what he was seeing.

The body then stood on its feet. It saluted before introducing himself. "Hi! Good afternoon! Nice to meet you, I'm Ichigo Kurosaki! Early to bed; early to rise! That's my motto."

There was absolutely no way that this thing could be him. "Early to bed; early to what?"

It's strange how Rukia was basically the only one that didn't seem to see the difference. "Pretty amazing, huh?"

"Amazing my ass!" He jutted a finger at his body. "What is that thing over there? How can he be me if _I'm_ me?!"

_Just thinking about that is making me dizzy. _Swirls replaced her jade green eyes as Alex tried to focus and get her head straight. She furiously shook her head. _Now's not the time to be getting confused, Alex! I gotta stay focused. _

A beeping sound came out of nowhere. It came from Rukia's phone. She took it out and flipped it open to read the new message. "Perfect timing; we just got a mission. Why don't we leave him here at school, while we head out?"

"A..Are you deranged?!" Ichigo yelled.

Rukia grabbed Ichigo behind the collar and began dragging him away to find the Hollow. "Let's go!"

"Hey, wait, no! They'll know that he's a fake!" As expected, the poor substitute Soul Reaper struggled and yelled in protest while being dragged away. "Hey, you, make sure that you attend my next class!"

The other Ichigo waved after them with a laugh. "Don't worry! Leave everything to me, master." All of a sudden, he changed his mood and tone of voice. "Take your time."

_Uh oh, this isn't good! Maybe I should hurry and get out of here before I'm caught. _Alex slowly tried to crawl away. As she was trying to escape, the false Ichigo stretched its body out. Then this insane thing happened: with one kick, he destroyed most of the fence, leaving a tear down the middle. That guy kicked that thing like it was paper! If she had stayed there any longer, who knows what would have happened to her!

The fake Ichigo smiled at his work. "Alright; feeling pretty good! Been too long since I had a body to get around in. Looks like I'm finally free... Hm?" Unfortunately, he saw one of Alex's legs and traced it back to her. "Well, well, what do we have here?"

Alex froze in her place. _Dammit! He saw me! And I can't move my body! _

The fake looked down on her with those brown eyes. "What's a cutie with a nice body like yours doing here?" So he was strong _and _a pervert. Well, Alex already knew that. "I guess it's my lucky day."

Before he could reach out to grab her arm, one of the Kendo* teachers came around checking out what was going on. Thank you teachers! "Huh?" He saw the huge tear in the fence. "Hey, what are you doing there?" The teacher got a better look at who the student was. "Aren't you Kurosaki from the ninth grade group three? What have you been doing here? And why is that fence all busted up?" He pointed the wooden sword at the now broken fence. Apparently he didn't see Alex hiding behind it.

The fake Ichigo gave one last look at the scared Alex then slowly advanced toward the Kendo instructor. With each approaching step, his speed increased. The teacher was getting nervous from the way he stared at him. "Huh? What's with that look?!" In order to stop him, he swung the wooden sword but missed. The soul that was in Ichigo's body leaped over his head. He leaped so far with such great force that the dust was forced back when his feet landed on another structure.

"Wh-What? He leaped to there?" The teacher turned around and was shocked to see that a student was capable of covering that much distance.

Ichigo, well, the fake, grinned at him as he chuckled. _Surprise, surprise, old man! _He started to jump higher and higher off of the ground. Once he had gotten high enough, the fake went all the way up to higher ground. He leaped away and left an astonished teacher and a frightened Alex behind.

The moment he left, she was able to move around again. With that in mind, Alex hurried to her classroom, already knowing what her classmates were about to witnessed. _Ichigo, Rukia, where the hell are you? Does it really take that long to kill a measly Hollow!? _

Meanwhile in class 1-3, the bell for lunch rang. A bubbling ginger shot out from the desk. "Alright! At last, time for lunch!"

Tatsuki went over to Orihime with her own lunch. "Geez, Orihime. It's just lunch; it's not a big deal."

"How could you say that, Tatsuki!?" She wagged her finger at the dark haired girl. "Everyone knows that a healthy, red-blooded high school girl only comes to school for one reason!" Orihime made a strange pose. "To eat her lunch!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get. Have a seat already."

Orihime did just that and brought out a huge loaf of uncut bread and a small can. "So, what did you bring for lunch, Tatsuki? I've got bread and red bean paste!"

Tatsuki laid a hand on her weird friend's head. "That sounds good! Unfortunately, my lunch is a little more ordinary!"

Out of nowhere, the fake Ichigo leaped high into the air and landed right on an open window sill. Everyone else thought it to be the real Ichigo and panicked at his sudden appearance. Alex came through the doors just in time to see that she was a little bit late. "Excuse me; this is the ninth grade class group three, right?"

Somewhere else, Ichigo had defeated another Hollow and completed their mission. He looked up and stared out into the distance. "Man, I'm getting a bad feeling…"

"Wh…What a second, how the hell did you get up here like that!?" Tatsuki said as she pointed at the fake Ichigo. Everyone else in the classroom huddled around the window and watched. Orihime hid behind her childhood friend, a little frightened at what was going on.

In a nonchalant manner, "What do you mean how? I jumped up here! You saw it with your own eyes, didn't ya?" He casually smiled at her. "Well, pretty rad, huh? Can you believe it?"

Sadly, one of the other classmates didn't really believe his story. "I bet he crawled over from the classroom next door!"

"No way, he jumped up from the yard!" Another boy called out against the other's assumption.

"Did you see him do it?" The other boy protested.

"Well, no, I didn't see it…"

While those two argued, the soul in Ichigo's body was grinning like a jolly idiot. _Righteous! Their eyes are all over me! They can't get enough. They totally think I'm amazing! _He looked out at the large crowd. _Man, the girls in this class are a bunch of hotties! Maybe that other girl I saw is in this class. _His eyes scanned the girls of 1-3 before landing on the innocent Orihime. One feature that he noticed right away was her large bust. _Whoa! SUPER SIZE!_

Alex saw that Ichigo, uh, the fake one, went over to Orihime. He held her hand and began stroking the back of her long hair. "Hey there, pretty lady. I don't believe that we've met. Would you please do me the honor of telling me your name?" He gently kissed the top of Orihime's hand. In response, she of course gave off a bright red blush while sweat dropping.

_Is this guy for real!? _Alex shot her hands up with a shocked expression. Her mouth gaped at them as it twitched in disbelief. The rest of her classmates had the same thought in mind. They all started whispering to each other about what was going on. Was Ichigo really hitting on Orihime?

Orihime's friends kind of over reacting and took it overboard. As for Tatsuki, she grabbed the bumbling idiot in a neck hold. His arms were held behind him while his head was bent forward. "Ichigo, what the heck do you think you're doing, you stupid moron! This better not be your idea of a joke!"

So called Ichigo looked behind him and got a better look at Tatsuki. "Hey, you're pretty cute yourself now that I got a closer look at you." All of the other girls were once again in deep shock as they comically went crazy.

Tatsuki stared at him as if he had two heads. "Huh?"

Rukia and the real Ichigo were hurrying back to class. "Why are we in such a hurry to get back?" Rukia said.

"I'm worried!" Ichigo took the lead. "I'm gonna make sure he's doing okay."

"There's nothing to worry about; he's fine!"

Ichigo protested. "I'm not so sure about that! I'm getting a bad vibe all of a sudden." They both stopped and saw a desk flying out of the window. It came from their classroom.

"So you were right, like you were saying." Rukia admitted that something was going on.

"Told ya."

Back in 1-3, an angered Tatsuki went berserk and continued throwing random desks at the false Ichigo. After missing him with the first chair, she effortlessly picked up another one. "You son of a…!" She threw the desk at him, hoping that it hits. "Die!"

"Watch it!" Unfortunately, it missed. The fake easily dodged her attacks without breaking as much of a single sweat. "All I did was kiss your cheek. Why is that such a big deal? I mean, it's not like you're in grade school anymore." He didn't get what this chick's problem was.

Tatsuki ignored and charged right at him with yet another desk. "SHUT UUUUUUP!" She slammed the desk onto the ground; again the fake dodged her attack.

_This people are just out of control! _Alex stood next to Orihime and saw just how strong Tatsuki really is. _Rukia, Ichigo, where are you?!_

As if answering her pleads, Rukia appeared through the door with a serious face. "Stop; it's over!"

The false Ichigo whipped his head at Rukia. Seeing that he was screwed, he ran straight towards the open window in hope of escaping. But they wouldn't allow him to get away so easily. "Ichigo, look out!"

"Right!" The real Ichigo leaped up and blocked his fake's exit.

"Ichigo, Rukia!" Alex quietly whispered. "Boy am I glad to see you two… Oh!" She just remembered about the abilities the substitute soul. From what happened on the roof, it was obvious that he has pretty strong legs. And at this time, Ichigo wasn't exactly aware of that. _I hope he knows what he's doing._

"Stop, there's no place to run." Ichigo was right about this guy. He was bad news.

The fake saw that he was surrounded and had no other choice but to fight back. So, he put his strong legs to work and attacked Ichigo. The real one barely dodged his attacks. He was able to grab the other's foot and stop him short. Ichigo glared at him. "Hey, you! I mean me. Why the hell are you doing this?"

A kick to his face was the fake's answer. Ichigo continued to receive a great number of kicks. All of the others only saw that 'Ichigo' was kicking the air. They couldn't see Ichigo since he was of course in his soul form. So the next thing that happened only increased their confusion, for it only seemed like some strong force pushed the tables back. Orihime stared at the empty space as one of the tables was lifted by an invisible being.

'Ichigo' looked at Rukia and then, strangely, at Alex. Said girl blinked at him, for she didn't know why he looked at her like that. "So long!" He ran and jumped out the window, landing perfectly while squatting. Ichigo hurried over to the open window just in time to see his other self. He ran at such an incredible speed. "Just what the hell does he thinks he's doing?"

Rukia ran over to the window as well, not really believing what her eyes saw. "Is it even possibly? No, it couldn't be one." Her eyes widen at the mere thought of it. "He must be a…a mod soul!"

Ichigo leaped out the window and followed 'Ichigo'. Rukia went out the classroom and ran after them. "Ichigo!"

A certain green eyed brunette watched as her two friends ran out of sight. She got out of her daze and followed in pursuit with them. _No more staying on the side! This time, I'm gonna help them out for sure! _With a determined attitude, Alex kept going without looking back.

* * *

_**Right you are, Rukia, right you are! Unfortunately, a mod soul is now on the loose and has Ichigo's body to use at will! Hm, I wonder how things will turn out. If you want to find out, continue reading! And also review!**_

_**Bye-bye!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**I do not own any of the characters, the original dialogues, or the plot. I only own the ones that I made up.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"Ah, crap!" Ichigo and Rukia were inside of an abandoned warehouse. They were looking for the mod soul but unfortunately… "Great, we lost him, or me, or whatever the hell you wanna call him!"

Rukia had to admit that they were stumped. "We're at a dead end here."

"What? Look, we don't have time for your Soul Reaper nonsense!" He jutted a finger at Rukia. It's pretty obvious to see that Ichigo was pissed off. "I have to capture him! I mean me! I mean-I'm not sure I know what I mean!"

_Oh boy. He's confusing himself again. _Alex was able to keep up with them. She was hiding behind a few large crates. She knew that was is a good amount of spirit energy within her, so Rukia was most likely able to sense her presence. _Maybe if I concentrate hard enough, I'll be able to hide it. _

"But you saw it too! I mean the riot he cause in class!" Ichigo didn't even want to think about it. But the damage was done. "I mean that jerk used my body to take advantage of Orihime and Tatsuki, and then he…k-k-k-."

Rukia finished for him, "He kissed them. Yes, I know." She was well aware of what happened. He didn't need to be so over-reactive about it.

But the ex-Soul Reaper didn't understand Ichigo's situation at all. "This sucks! Don't say that! My life is over!"

"Please, get over it already. A kiss is nothing more than a form of greeting. I fail to see the problem." And then out of nowhere, she started taking about some book or manga. "I mean in this book I was just reading, it said that there are far worse things that can happen to a girl." Oh Rukia, if only you would just shut up and listen to his problems for just one measly second.

The contents of the book didn't exactly help make the situation any better. "Will you shut up! This is a catastrophe! He came on to my classmates! What the hell kind of books are you reading?" He yelled out in frustration while grabbing onto his head. "I put _years_ into crafting my image!"

"Image?" Rukia wondered. "So he looks and acts that way on purpose?"

"I'm beginning to think that myself," Alex said under her breath. She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, hoping that neither of them heard her. Seeing that she was still safe, it was okay relax. '_That was a close one. I can't allow myself to be noticed just yet.'_

Ichigo finally stopped complaining. "Forget it. It doesn't matter… Wait, you called him a mod soul, right?" He straightened himself up as he turned to Rukia. "So what is that? Just what the hell is he?"

_'Well, he might as well know about it, now.' _"A while back…the Soul Society initiated a new project called…Spearhead."

"Spearhead?"

"Yes. They took souls that have been modified for combat and placed them into the dead, after their own souls have parted. They were used as soldiers against the Hollows. It was a reprehensible plan." Rukia took out something to draw on and with. She began drawing illustrations to help Ichigo better understand. "All of the souls that were selected to take part in the Spearhead project were then altered. Once inside a body, one aspect of their host is made superhuman." There were two of her drawings that showed an animal or something picking up a huge boulder while the other ran at high speeds. That must have been the aspect that the mod soul inside of Ichigo's body had made superhuman. "An artificial soul built for battle, a mod soul." Rukia flipped the pages of the drawing pad to animate the last picture. "Do you understand this so far?"

"Yeah, but your sucky little drawings make it seem like it's no big deal." That gave Ichigo a good whack on the head and face. Doesn't he ever learn the first time?

Rukia went on, "But the Spearhead project was rejected, because it would force corpses to fight. In the end, all of the mod, or modified souls, that were still in the incubation stages were ordered to be destroyed. However, it seems that there are still some out there."

"So, wait a minute. You're telling me that the guy that's inside of my body was created by the Soul Society? And now they've decided to have him wiped out for being what they've made him?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Ichigo couldn't believe it, "And you're honestly telling me that you could accept that?"

Alex's hold on one of the boxes tightened. She knew that what the Soul Society did wasn't fair or right. But what's done is done.

"Whether I accept it or not is completely irrelevant," Rukia snapped. Ichigo was a bit taken aback. "The mod souls must be destroyed. The Soul Society commanded it. Unless you forget, the laws of the Soul Society are not arbitrary. They have been put in place for the protection and wellbeing of _all_ human souls. Now let's go. You want your body back, right?"

Alex was about to head out as well until... "Achoo!" A short yet loud sneeze echoed through the entire warehouse. Both hands planted themselves ob her mouth. '_So close!'_

"Um…bless you?" Ichigo thought that his partner sneezed but saw that it obviously wasn't her. "Hello? Who else is in here?" Both Rukia and Ichigo searched the place for the uninvited guest. Whoever this person is had probably heard their whole conversation. And if they were also able to see Ichigo, that meant trouble for them.

_'Dang it! This stupid dust just had to make me sneeze! I gotta get out of here before they-'_

"Gotcha!" Ichigo took of Alex's collar, preventing her from escaping. "Wait, aren't you in my class?" He got a better look at the girl's outfit and saw that it was his school's uniform. But what really surprised him was who it was. "Hold on, Alex? What the heck are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back in class?"

Alex struggled to break free of Ichigo's grasp and tried getting his hand off of her, but that failed. _Man, he's strong! _She gave up and confessed while sweat dropping. "Well, you see, what had happened was..." She pushed her index fingers together while still being held by the tall boy.

Rukia stared at Alex with a bit of interest. '_She really can see Ichigo. It might be possible that this girl can also see Hollows clearly. If that's the case...'_ "Tell me just how much you know about us." She nodded to Ichigo, telling him to let Alex down and that it was alright. He did so and waited for his classmate to answer.

"Well, I know that you were a Soul Reaper until Ichigo had absorbed nearly all of your powers. He's doing your job for the time being until all of your powers are restored."

_'seems that she must have left the scene before I could replace her memories. _Rukia slight narrowed her eyes. _I remember seeing this girl there. But I didn't think that she was able to see me or the Hollow. But it also seems like Ichigo already knew about her being able to see spirits._ Rukia sighed. _It can't be helped.' _"Alright, continue."

"Everything else that I know about is basically what you explained to Ichigo just know." '_Although I know a whole more than you think. But they can't know about that right now.' _"But if you're planning on erasing my memories about all of this, please just give me a chance!" Alex went down on her knees and begged like her life depended on it, "Please, please, please, _please_ let me be a part of the secret! I won't tell anybody. And I can be of help on any mission!"

Rukia had to think long and hard about it. "...If things are to get tough and will be too much for you alone to handle, will you promise to get out of the way and head to safety?"

Alex couldn't really believe it. Rukia Kuchiki was actually allowing her to tag along with them from now on! "You…You mean I can help you guys from now on?" The serious girl nodded. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She tackled Rukia with a big squeeze. "Don't you worry, Rukia! I won't let you guys down!"

Rukia looked down at Alex. '_She seems to be pretty grateful of my decision. Hopefully, this girl will listen to my orders the first time.' _"Okay, okay, you've celebrated. Now get off of me!"

"Oh! Right, sorry!" Alex did what she said and let go. She looked down at Rukia and saw that she was at least a head taller than the Soul Reaper. '_Huh...I actually thought she was around the same height as me!'_

Ichigo watched the two enlarged eyes with tiny pupils. Alex seems even sillier than before. After Rukia told Alex to get off of her, he shook his head and went back to normal. To be honest, he had nothing against Alex being a new partner. But this also meant that he had to protect one more person. '_I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into, Alex.'_

"Alright, now that that has been taken care of, let's go!" Rukia started toward one of the exits of the warehouse. The other two nodded in agreement before heading out after Rukia. The search for the mod soul continued.

They have searched everywhere for that darn mod soul. But after hours of looking, Ichigo spotted the mod about to land a kick on three school boys. Without a moment to lose, he hurried over there and blocked the attack with his arms. Both the mod soul and Ichigo jumped back a good distance away from the other. The showdown between them was about to begin.

Rukia and Alex caught up with them soon before their fight started. When it began, both Ichigos' movements were quick. Ichigo was able to dodge the mod's kicks without much effort. The two backed away from each other again. It seems as if the mod soul was getting frustrated, for Ichigo has been evading nearly all of his attacks. "If I stay calm, I'll be able to predict every move you've got," Ichigo said.

The mod soul jumped high in the air before he attacked again. But Ichigo grabbed one of his legs, picked him up, and then threw him over to some other place. He had to make sure that his body didn't take any significant damage.

The mod landed on his feet. Seeing that it was useless, he escaped and jumped away again.

"Wait, you-!" Ichigo tried running after him but was stopped short when Rukia's phone went off.

"Ichigo, hold it!" She flipped it open and indeed saw a message about another mission. "We have an order."

He turned to the black haired girl, "What? You have got to be kidding!"

"We have a Hollow alert here; we have to leave now!"

"Huh? Right now?" Ichigo really wasn't in the mood for a stickin' Hollow. He looked in the direction the mod soul went and gave a furious glare.

Alex saw this and sighed, "Now we have to deal with a pissed off Ichigo."

"Come on you two, let's move!"

It couldn't be helped. Ichigo and Alex followed after Rukia to find the Hollow and exercise its soul. In the meantime, the three boys that were going to be attacked by the mod soul had been caught cutting gym class by their teacher. They told her what actually happened. But their PE teacher didn't believe them, for these boys would always have some kind of story to tell to get them out of trouble. So as punishment, the three boys were on clean up duty after school.

As the boys were cleaning up, a Hollow with what seemed like a body of a centipede hovered over the area. It laughed in a sinister manner while staring hungrily at its prey. Luckily, the mod soul sensed that there the Hollow at the school he was just at and ran back.

Rukia's pager beeped again, "Hm?" She stopped in her tracks to check it.

Ichigo and Alex stopped, "What is it now?" It seems like Ichigo still wasn't in the mood.

"My Soul Pager; there seems to be something wrong with it!"

"What!"

_'Oh boy,' _Alex thought.

Rukia held the phone up to her ear, "Is the battery dead?"

Ichigo didn't have time for this crap, "You didn't recharge it? Next time, do that instead of asking for Chappy the rabbit!"

"Now I can't figure out where that Hollow is," Rukia admitted.

Ichigo _really _didn't have time for this. "That's just great!"

"Ichigo calm down. Instead of getting angry, try to find the location of the Hollow," Alex placed a hand on her hip. She was handling the situation better than he was.

"Oh, shut up!" Ichigo turned to the brunette.

Alex sighed, "Look, just because your body is in the possession of a mod soul doesn't mean you gotta be so pissed at everything else."

Meanwhile, the Hollow went charging towards the three boys that were cleaning up. Luckily, the mod soul beat him to it and kicked it right in its skull. It fell a few feet from the boys and forced them flying a short distance ahead. They were a bit confused at first but then spotted someone up ahead.

"I..It's that guy again!" The one with glasses said. "Hey, why'd you push us down?" The dust cleared up and showed 'Ichigo' standing in front of nothing in particular.

"It's that high school student from earlier!"

The mod soul let out a battle cry before charging toward the fallen Hollow. It soon noticed and started attacking with its small arms as they extended toward him. But the mod blocked them all. He leaped high in the air to land a strong kick on the Hollow. However, the Hollow wouldn't allow this and got him on the shoulder. It caused the mod to go down and hold onto his arm in pain.

The three boys were shocked to see that the high school student was bleeding all of a sudden. "Huh? Blood?" A force from behind the mod soul scared them away. "Ichigo" glared over his bloodied shoulder at the Hollow as it stared at him with those yellow eyes.

Hearing sudden explosions out of nowhere, Alex, Ichigo, and Rukia ran to where it was coming from. "What was that?" Ichigo wondered.

"There!" Rukia indicated toward the school they were at. "There's the Hollow!"

"Yeah, I see it!"

They also saw the mod soul in Ichigo's body jump up to the roof of the school. The Hollow crawled in the air right behind him. Ichigo noticed and stopped.

"He's there too!" Rukia said.

"That idiot!" Ichigo ran toward them both.

"Hold it!" Rukia had tried to stop him. "Wait Ichigo, don't go!"

Alex watched after him. "There's no stopping him now."

Rukia looked at the brunette. She seemed so calm. Usually, people are still new to all of this would be freaking out and asking multiple questions about what was going on. '_But this girl seems to be handling it quite well. And her spirit energy feels somewhat strong. It's nearly as strong as my own when I still had my powers! Is it possible that she could have...?' _"You're Alexandria Rosewood, correct?"

"Yeah, I'm in the same class as you and Ichigo, remember?"

Rukia nodded, "Yes, I remember." She walked up to Alex. "How long have you been able to see spirit beings?"

Alex had to come up with something, and fast. She can't tell her that she's been able to see them ever since making a test wish about it! "For a long time now. Maybe even a couple of years by now."

"I see, and have you met any other spiritual beings, Soul Reapers, to be exact?"

Alex shook her head, "You and Ichigo are the only ones I've seen so far."

Rukia placed a hand on her chin while the other held it up by the elbow. "Interesting... One last question: do you have any abilities of your own whatsoever?"

"That's a good question," Alex thought about it and wonder when exactly was her powers soon to be revealed. '_I know I wished that I had to obtain them hard way. But am I supposed to go through the process at Urahara's shop or do it some other way?' _"I'm not quite sure. But I think there's a chance that I have them somewhere inside of me."

"Good. And one more thing," Rukia turned to go after Ichigo, "how well are your combat skills?"

Now that was something Alex can answer. She crossed her arms over her chest while smiling, "Pretty damn good if you ask me."

This also made Rukia smirk a little, "Excellent. Come on, let's go!"

"I'm right behind ya!" The two girls hurried toward the school building.

On top of the roof, the mod soul was cornered by the Hollow as it laughed at him. His shoulder bled and let crimson liquid flow down his arm. He panted heavily as blood was also shown on the side of his head. "How rude," the Hollow spoke. "You disturbing my lunch and we haven't been introduced." It began flying upwards. "I don't know who you think you are, but you're too weak to take me on!" It shot one of his arms out and aimed it at the mod soul. He jumped out of the way but was soon met with another one from behind and was forced back down on the roof again. One more arm shot out towards him until Ichigo came in and slashed it off. The Hollow howled in pain as it slowly shook itself around. Ichigo swung his Zanpakuto to get the blood stains off of the blade.

The mod soul was surprised to see him actually helping out. Ichigo didn't really have a choice, since it was of course _his _body. "Hey… What the…?" The mod soul looked confused. "Why are you helping me?"

Ichigo ran up to him, grabbing him by the collar, "Helping you? Do you have any idea what you just did to my shoulder? It's _my _clothes and _my _body that you're messing up!" He faced the Hollow, still holding onto to the mod. "Listen to me, if you can't take on a Hollow without getting hurt, then don't do it!"

"What is your problem? I had to fight him 'cause you were late!" The mod soul defended for himself. "If I'd waited for you, then those kids would have been dead meat!"

"Shut up!" Ichigo interrupted. "Aren't you supposed to be some badass mod soul?"

While the two were fighting, the Hollow charged toward them, "Time...to eat!"

"Eat this!" Ichigo sliced its mask down the middle while the mod soul stopped it with his foot. The Hollow cried out in pain as it flew back. The mod soul thought this to be a bad thing and ran after it.

"Hey, hold it!" Ichigo yelled at him to stop. But he just kept running until leaping off the roof before kicking the Hollow into the air. It dissipated into black particles. The mod soul smiled at his work while he was falling down onto ground below. But Ichigo quickly caught him by the ankle to stop him short.

"You…dumbass! What were you thinking when you just did that?" Ichigo had to explain to this numbskull why his action was useless. "You see, once you have split a Hollow's head, it means he is finished." He struggled to keep him up. "So there was no point for you going and kicking it!" The gym teacher from before was back with the three boys. Her voice was heard all the way up from the roof. Ichigo heard her and looked down below.

The boys tried to tell her that there actually was someone bleeding out there. But once again, she didn't believe them, for there was no proof. They kept explaining to her that they were telling the truth, but it was useless. The teacher added on another day to their punishment and walked away while the three students hurried behind her.

Soon after they left, Ichigo pulled the mod soul back up. The mod sat down with his knees bent up and watched a trail of ants marching by.

"Why did you save those three?" Ichigo asked. "I thought you said you hated them."

"It's hard to explain. If I hadn't have helped those kids, they would've been killed," He looked at Ichigo. "No one should have the right to kill anyone!"

Ichigo just stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"But after I was created, the Soul Society sent out an order," The mod soul brought his eyes back down. He could remember the horrible day it as if it were just yesterday. "They made an announcement that all mod souls should be destroyed immediately… So the day right after I was born, the Society gave me a death sentence!" His eyes were now shadowed. The mere thought of remembering it made his fists clench. "I waited… I trembled with fear inside that pill, just waiting to die! Day after day, I watched helplessly as the others were disposed of." The mod soul got up and went to stand over the railing of the roof. "Then I got lucky and got shipped with a load of goods by mistake. But I always expected to be discovered, then destroyed…" He leaned his arm on the iron bar. "I was alone for seemed like years. I had quite a while to think about how things should be like. And you know what I feel?" He turned to face Ichigo. "I decided no one has the right to take someone's life away. I exist, and I have the right to live my life for as long as I want to!"

There was someone else listening to their conversation in from the shadows. Alex stood behind the entrance way to the stairs and laid a hand on her chest. She knew that he had it rough. But hearing his story and reasoning in person actually allowed it to sink into her. She felt complete and utter empathy for the mod soul.

His hand its tightened its grip on the rail, "Just like humans, I deserve that! So I refuse to take a life… That's the reason why I will never kill a living creature."

"Well, look who we have here," A man with a dark robe, a green and white striped hat, and clogs stood before the two. They looked behind them and saw that he slowly walked toward them with his cane. He brought it up and tapped it on his shoulder. "So finally we found you. And what a picture; you'll all beat up and worn out," He held the end of his cane up to the mod soul's fore head. "All that trouble for nothing."

"Huh?" The mod soul wasn't understanding what he was saying. But that didn't matter, for the next thing that happened explained it all.

The man with dirty blonde hair smirked as he pulled his cane back. On the end of it was the same blue and black, flaming skull like the one on Rukia's glove. He shoved it through the mod soul's skull and forced a green pill out of his head. It flew back and landed onto the ground, along with Ichigo's body. The eyes now gave off a dead stare.

Alex was almost in shock at what happened as Ichigo was. But she soon remembered that it was only the removing of one's soul from the body. A breeze picked up and blew past them all, rustling their clothes. Three others were gathered behind their boss as they waited. "Mission accomplished." The man walked back to his group with the pill in hand, "Come on, let's go back home."

A small boy with red hair and a huge black bat whined in protest. "What? Come on, I came here for a real fight and this is all I get?"

"Hey, hold it!" Ichigo injected. "What are you gonna do with that mod soul now?"

Hat and clogs tossed the pill up in the air and caught it in a repeated cycle. He turned to Ichigo, "No choice. I've gotta destroy him."

Ichigo was actually shocked to see that he and the other three could see him as clear as day. "You see me; how can that be…? Just who are you guys anyway?"

Hat and clogs stared back at Ichigo, "I'm not sure how to answer that question." As he threw the pill up again, someone else had caught it. "Huh?"

Rukia held the pill close to her chest, "I believe that's mine, thank you."

"Ms. Kuchiki, you can't have that," The man objected.

"And why can't I have it, Kisuke?" Rukia started tossing it up in the air. "Are saying that it's your policy to seize goods that your costumers have already paid for?"

Kisuke stared at Rukia, "Hey, I'll give you a full refund. How does that sound to ya?"

"That's okay; I'm completely satisfied with my purchase. Besides, I know that you know that you're operating outside the law." She turned with a smirk on her face, "And I also know that it's not your job to recall this mod soul."

Kisuke gave in, "I just hope that you know what you're getting yourself involved in. So don't blame me if you get into trouble."

"I won't. I've already dealt with a lot of trouble since I've been here." She walked over to Ichigo and handed him the mod soul, "Here."

Ichigo took the pill and stared at it.

"Come on, let's go. And the same goes for you too, Alex," Rukia called to her.

Alex nodded and came out of hiding. She hurried over to Rukia as Ichigo continued staring at the pill before following after them.

Later on, the three of them were headed back home. Ichigo was now back inside his body but had to deal with the wounds that stained his clothes. He winced in pain and grabbed onto his bleeding shoulder.

"You're really feeling it," Rukia noticed as they all stopped next to a construction site.

"Sure am. That mod soul really took my body for a pretty tough test drive!" He took the green pill out from his pocket. "You tried to wreck me." After hearing no response, Ichigo started to yell at it with a popping vein on his head, "Hey, are you even listening to me?"

"I'm afraid you must look really silly yelling at a pill in public," Rukia stated.

Alex saw that Ichigo had a shade of pink break across his cheeks, "Aw, is somebody embarrassed?" She held her bag with both hands in front of her. That almost wanted to make Rukia laugh.

Ichigo turned to both girls. "I still wanna tell him how I feel! Help me out here! Is there a way I can give this damn mod soul what's coming to him?" He asked Rukia.

"You need to insert him into a body, a dead body or one without a soul," she explained.

"Ah-ha!" Ichigo started looking around, left and right. "I got ya! I'm looking for a dead body and when I find it-BAM-is he gonna get it!" He shot his bag forward as he held onto hit.

"Oh great," Alex sighed while bowing her head. "Now he looks like a complete idiot."

Rukia nodded in agreement before looking back at the idiot himself, "Just be quiet."

Ichigo looked to the side and saw something lying on top of a couple of bags. "What do we have here?" He bent down in front of it, "So let me get this straight. You're saying a non-living object could work for this, right?"

"Hold on, that's not exactly how that works." But it did get her to think about it even further. _Although on second thought, I'm in a body that's not a real body, so I guess it really could work._

"Rukia?" Ichigo brought her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" She looked at him. "There is a possibility that it could work. Let's try it out."

"Ya think? Alright, so what do I do?"

"I would imagine you would take the pill and put it in his mouth," Rukia deadpanned.

"You mean like this?" Ichigo slid the pill into the stuffed lion's mouth, "There."

Alex and Rukia both huddled near Ichigo as he squats down with the lion hanging by the hand. They waited to see if there was to be any reaction coming from it anytime soon. "So you got any ideas as to how it might work?" He held it up to both girls.

"That should have worked," Rukia took a step back.

Ichigo then started twirling it around with a blank face.

"Sheesh, you could have at least gave it a minute to kick in," Alex sweat dropped.

But soon enough, the stuffed animal came to life. It stopped itself from twirling while a vein popped on top of its head. "That hurts nimrod!" He punched Ichigo on the head. It didn't have much effect since his body was now a plush toy. He jumped off and landed a few feet away, pointing one of its claws at him. "Ichigo Kurosaki, I now challenge you to a no hold bar duel!"

"Count me in," Ichigo stood on his feet as he overpowered the stuffed lion by mere size.

The mod soul noticed this started to freak out. "Hey wait! When did you grow big? Or did I somehow shrink?" It looked down at its body. "What happened? I'm in a super cute, plush toy with paws and no muscle! This isn't fair!"

Ichigo smirked down on it. "Hey mod soul, relax." He squats down in front of the plush toy. "It's time for some payback for what you were doing to my body earlier!" He grabbed the top of the stuffed doll's head. "Your little field trip could have taken me out completely! I'm going to need to make you understand!"

"Guess I'm just gonna have to mop the floor with you the way I am!"

_Does he not understand the situation he's in! _Alex stared at the poor mod soul with large eyes. "Man, when he's in a stuffed animal, he's even more annoying than I thought." She walked up beside Ichigo and squatted down next to him. "Hey, I'm gonna go and head on home. I hope you deal with this little pervert whenever you can."

"Oh, don't worry. You bet I will," Ichigo continued to glaring at the doll as it struggled to inflict any damage on him.

Alex smiled at Ichigo, hoping that he didn't really notice it. "Alright, good luck," she straightened herself up and ran off in the direction of her house. She waved after Rukia and Ichigo while calling out to them. "Later guys, I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye Alex!" Rukia kindly called back to her while Ichigo was still dealing with that annoying mod soul.

_'Oh yeah, that's right. His name is gonna be Kon now!'_

By the time everyone went home, nightfall came and darkened the sunset sky with the moon and its bright stars. Alex was in her room singing the lullaby, for the nightmares had still come, even in this world. Once she finished, she went to bed with sweet dreams. One of them had a certain boy in particular. That one dream made Alex smile in her sleep.

The next day was a bright and shiny one. Alex walked into class 1-3 to see that everything was normal again. She was a bit relieved that Rukia replaced the memories of the classmates. '_I'm just that glad that Ichigo won't have to complain or worry about his image. And Tatsuki doesn't have to kill Ichigo for what Kon did yesterday.' _She sat down in her seat a table right behind Ichigo. Since she was more comfortable talking to him, she decided to move her spot.

Jade green eyes stared outside of a window as the owner of them smiled. That it is, until she suddenly remembered something, "Oh…Today's June 16." She checked her watch and her smile was wiped clean off her face. "Ichigo won't be here tomorrow. And I know why." '_This is one of the few episodes I dread the most. I hated seeing Ichigo like that,' _Alex shook her head. '_I can't be bothered by that right now. But to be honest, I'm not coming to school either. Not to join them or see what'll happen, but to avoid ever seeing that damn Hollow hurt Ichigo…'' _Her eyes looked up to see the said boy come into the classroom. He happily greeted Orihime. Being nice and more friendly to others was one of the things that Ichigo would always do the day before the anniversary. But only she and Tatsuki knew about this. '_Ichigo...your ass better be alright the next time I see you…'_

* * *

_**Okay! I'm gonna stop it right there. **_

_**Be sure to review and read the next chapter!**_

_**Bye-bye!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hello, hello! Let's just cut to the chase, shall we? In this chapter, Alex is taking a sort of day of. The reason why is in episodes 8 and 9 of Bleach. And also, there will be a little break from the plot.**_

_**Disclaimer: I only own the characters that I've created. The characters and plot of Bleach belong to Tite Kubo. **_

_**On to the story!**_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"Alex, how come you're not going to school today?" Botania wondered as she watched the darker brunette lie under her bed covers. She seemed to be pretty upset or sad about something. "Did something happen between you and your new friends?"

Alex sighed, "No, Bobo, nothing happened. It's just that today is the 17th."

Bobo flew over to her. "What's so important about the 17th?"

"...It's the anniversary of Ichigo's mother's death."

The small girl then became saddened. "Oh...is that why he isn't at school either?"

Alex nodded. "He and his family are to visit her grave this afternoon. Rukia will be there, too. But the real reason why I won't tag along this time is because of the Hollow that murdered her..." She brought her knees close to her chest while lowering her head. "And the fight that Ichigo will have with that monster is just too much for me to handle. I don't ever want to see him like that. I wouldn't be able to bear it in person."

Bobo looked down in thought, a finger pushed at her cheek. '_Seeing Alex all sad like is bringing me down, too. Maybe she needs to take a break from all this sadness and should enjoy a day shopping! All girls love to shop!' _"Hey, Alex, how about we go shopping to get your mind off of it? I'm sure that'll help make you feel better," Bobo suggested.

"I'm not exactly the shopaholic type of person."

Bobo puffed her cheeks out. "You don't have to be a shopaholic. Besides, we're only window-shopping."

Alex looked up and leaned her chin against her knees. '_Maybe I _do _need to go shopping. The clothes in my closet aren't really my style...' _"Alright," she faced her little friend,"We'll go. But won't you be seen by other people? Or is it that ones with spirit energy can see you?"

Blue eyes blinked at Alex's questions. "What are you talking about? _Everyone _can see me. I just didn't want Ichigo or Rukia to notice me." She pushed her fingers together. "You didn't know that I'm shy?"

Alex's jaw dropped to her lap. "What the hell? Since when were _you _shy? Last time I checked, you seemed as bubbly and happy-go-lucky as Orihime! Plus, you didn't have such a hard time chatting with me, so why the sudden shyness?!"

"Well... Actually," Bobo looked up with a finger to her chin, "I don't know. I guess it might just come and go."

Alex limply hung her head down with a sweat drop on the back. "You really are a special one."

"Aw, thank you!" Bobo latched her hands together in delight.

"I was being sarcastic," Alex deadpanned.

* * *

Half of an hour had passed, and Alex and Bobo were dressed in casual clothing as they headed straight for the shopping center. All kind of stores that sold their own products had welcomed each and every shopper. Signs and stands of various fonts and designs informed passersby with sales, specials, and much more. Alex turned her head left and right as she and Bobo walked by the different places.

The plexiglass on the outside of each store gave off both girls' reflection. Alex wore a red and white, tier layered, ankle-length skirt. On her torso was a plain white, noodle strapped tank top with a red cardigan over it. To complete the attire, she had on a pair of simple, red flip-flops. "Oh yeah, I definitely need a new wardrobe," Alex mumbled as her eyebrow twitched.

"What!? But you look really pretty like this!" Bobo disagreed frantically. She had on black shorts with star designs, a gray hooded shirt with majestic swirls across the top, and her sparkling gray boots. Apparently, those were her favorite shoes. "You should wear more girly clothes more often. And I bet _he _will notice how pretty you look, too!" Her hands were latched on to the other while she used a teasing, lovey-dovey voice.

"Shut up! I already told you that I don't like him." But the light pink blush on her cheeks said otherwise. "And what makes you think I care what he thinks about the way I dress?!"

The small child giggled while pointing at Alex's face, "Maybe the blush on your cheeks will tell you."

An annoyed growl was heard from said blushing girl's throat. One of her hands formed into a tight fist as it went close to Bobo's laughing face. "You are _really_ asking for it!"

After Alex simmered down, they went into a clothing store for women. It also sold shoes, jewelry, and various items. To help with her new wardrobe, Bobo decided to pick the clothes out for Alex while she would wait in a dressing room to try them out.

Alex had tried on tons of outfits, but only a few or more had seemed fit to her. They then switched roles. Instead of getting a small amount, Bobo ended up taking nearly all of the clothes she tried on. Thankfully, Alex only bought a considerably amount. Both girls paid for their purchases, mostly Alex, and left for another store. The cycle went on for at least three hours until Bobo whined about needing a break. They stopped by a café. It was their lucky day, for the place was having a 30% discount on most choices on the menu.

Once finding a seat outside of the café, the girls waited for their order to arrive. Bobo started a conversation as they waited patiently. "So, how _do _you plan on obtaining your powers?" No one else was listening to them, so it was safe to use regular leveled voices.

"Well, there are these three lessons that I remembered. The first lesson is to increase one's spiritual power when in danger. The second lesson will determine whether or not you become a Soul Reaper or a Hollow. And the third one... I can't exactly remember that one. But this process is something that Mr. Hat and Clogs does to help someone restore their powers. But I'm not sure if it'll work on someone if they're just trying to call forth their Soul Reaper powers." She rested her chin on both palms of her hands.

Bobo swung her small legs under the metal table. "Hm... Then, maybe you're not meant to do it that way."

Green eyes stared up at Bobo. "If so, then how am I supposed to-oh, thank you."

Someone from the Café came out with their food and gently set it down. "Enjoy your meal!" She went back inside to attend to the other orders.

"What was I saying again...? Oh! How am supposed to get my powers if the lessons won't do me any good?"

Bobo shrugged, "How should I know?" She then squinted at Alex, slightly doubting something about her. "Are you sure you're a Bleach expert? Well, up to the place you stopped at.?"

"Don't question my title!" A vein popped on Alex's forehead. This girl would always find a way to tick her off. She calmed herself down and began eating her food and drink. Once both girls were finished, Alex asked for the bill and paid the waitress before she and Bobo left the café.

As the two were walking, there was something in the window of another clothing store that caught Alex's eye. She paused in mid-step, which caused Bobo to bump into her and wonder why she abruptly stopped. "Alex, what's wrong?"

She didn't answer. What made her stop and stare at the glass window was a cotton dress that stopped a little past the mannequin's knees from the back. In the front, it reached down near the lower part of its upper thigh. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline. A wide black waist band was under the chest area, somewhere over the abdomen. The dress's colors were black and white, but it alternated in halves above and below the waist band. The ends of it were loose, so it allowed the person who wore it room to move their legs around.

Bobo slowly rose up from the side with a curious face and got a look at the dress herself. "Oooo, that is one, beautiful dress! It's no wonder why you're in a trance!"

And Alex was still in that trance, so she didn't really hear what Bobo said. To snap her out of it, Bobo bonked the brunette on the head, _hard_. "Ow! What the heck was that for?!" she yelled as she held the top of her now throbbing head as she winced in pain.

"You were in a daze. So, I had to do _something _to get you out of it."

She sighed before walking again, "Well, it worked, and now I have a headache."

Bobo giggled as she hurried to Alex's side, "Sorry, I guess I don't know my own strength!" She started to skip in a playful manner.

_'Yeah, right! I bet you intended to try and knock me out!' _"Whatever. Let's just go home. And I think that's enough shopping for one day. Besides," her eyes went up and stared at the gloomy sky, "It looks like it's about to rain pretty soon. So, we better hurry if we don't want to catch a cold." She took her shoes off and broke out into a jog. Bobo followed in suit without needing to take her boots off.

By the time they reached the Rosewood residence, it began to drizzle before turning into rain that poured down on all of Karakura Town. It was a good thing that Alex noticed it, or they would have been soaked from head to toe. Alex and Bobo went straight up to Alex's bedroom to set their things down and rest.

Hours later, dinner was ready. Her parents and maid didn't know about Bobo yet, so Alex had to take another plate up to her room without Rosa looking. It's been that way ever since. After Alex and Bobo finished eating, they got ready to turn in for the night and took a shower before changing into pajamas.

As Alex sang her lullaby, it made Bobo smile while she slept, since it was the stars' favorite song. Afterwards, Alex went to bed and slept with sweet dreams. It may or may not have been a daily thing, but there seemed to always be one dream and one dream only that had a bright, orange haired boy in it. It didn't matter to her though, for it made sleeping much easier.

* * *

Today was now June 28. It was a bright and shining day, but it was no ordinary one. It was actually a certain brunette's 15th birthday. And to give an early celebration of it before going to school, Alex's family and maid quietly went up to her bedside with a cake in hand and woke her up with a loud, "Happy Birthday, Alex!"

It nearly forced her to flail off the other side of the bed. Seeing that it was only her family and Rosa, Alex relaxed. "Oh, thank you so much for the 'Happy Birthday'!" She went over to give her family a big hug after they placed the cake down. They soon left and allowed her to get ready for school.

Downstairs waiting for her was surprisingly a couple of her friends from school. "Orihime? Tatsuki? What are you guys doing here?" Alex called down as she ran down the steps with her bag in hand.

"To be one of the firsts to say 'Happy Birthday', why else?" Tatsuki answered.

"Happy Birthday!" Orihime cheered while jumping up.

Alex laughed at her silly friend. '_To be honest, I wasn't really planning on telling anyone about my birthday, except for Orihime and Tatsuki, and maybe even Ichigo and Rukia. But then a certain couple of parents just _have _to throw me a party.' _"Thanks, Orihime. Bye everyone, I'll see you later!" she called out to her folks. They replied and went back to decorating. _'I__ just hope they won't embarrass me in front of everyone I know from school.' _Alex's mouth twitched. She certainly didn't want that to ruin her freshman year.

The three school girls headed to Karakura High while chattering about the party. "So, what's the party going to be like, Alex?" Tatsuki asked.

Alex sighed, "Sadly, I wasn't able to figure that out. So, it'll be just as surprising for me as it will for everyone else attending."

"Well, that sucks." They went through the front gates and inside the building before going on the path to their homeroom. "Ya better hope that nothing goes wrong and screw everything, or your party will be the talk of the school for a long time. And not in a good way either.

Alex was now drooping her head as dark lines of worry moved behind her. "Please don't remind me about that. It's bad enough that I have to have a party."

Orihime patted the gloomy girl's head, "How come you don't like parties? Did you have any bad experiences in the past?"

"Well, to make it short, let's just say that a few idiot boys _and _girls at my 11th birthday party did something pretty damn stupid and nearly ruined me. I had to deal with everyone talking about it for almost a whole year! So, after that, I stopped wanting to have parties for my birthday. If it was for anything else, then it was alright with me." They entered class 1-3 and was met with a silly Keigo leaping toward Alex.

"HAAAAPPY BIRTH-!" He was cut short when both Tatsuki and Alex gave him a foot to the face.

Alex had a vein throbbing over her eyes as one of them furiously twitched in annoyance. "Try to learn the boundaries of people's personal space, ya ninny!"

The over-excited boy then dropped to the ground with two footprints on his face. "That hurt, ya know?"

"You deserved it for being an ass," said Ichigo as he walked up to the trio of friends and his fallen classmate. "Morning, Tatsuki, Orihime, Alex.

"Mor-." Alex was going to return the greeting but was stopped by an outstretched hand. Tatsuki stared annoyingly at her best friend. He could be so forgetful sometimes.

"Ichigo! Aren't you forgetting something?"

"...Oh, right. Happy birthday, Alex," he said while rubbing the back of his neck with his eyes closed. Ichigo wasn't exactly the kind of person to remember stuff like this, especially since he was only notified of this not too long ago. "So, how's your birthday so far?"

Alex shrugged, "Alright, I guess. And Tatsuki, you don't have to remind _everyone _to say happy birthday to me. It's fine if they don't remember it right away. I myself forget about things like this." They all went over to stand near the windows. The rest of their group said their 'Happy Birthday's and started chatting for a while before Ms. Ochi entered the classroom, telling everyone to take their seats. There weren't any orders from the Soul Society today, so Rukia and Ichigo actually had time to relax. But just in case a Hollow did appear, they would keep their be on their toes, ready for action.

At the end of the day, all had went home. The people that were able to attend Alex's party either went shopping for a last minute present or went home to get ready. The party started at eight o' clock, so everyone had at least four to five hours to do what was needed. Alex took this time to take her friends shopping with. It wasn't to remind them to buy her a present but just so that they could enjoy themselves for a little bit. Besides, she needed to know a little more about them if they were going to be her friends.

Unfortunately for her though, the eight of them were split into small groups. Orihime, for some odd reason, wanted this and made two groups of three and one of two. She went with Tatsuki and Rukia. Mizuiro, Keigo, and Chad were in grouped together. And out of sheer bad luck, according to Alex, she and Ichigo were the group of two. They were to meet up again at the entrance of the shopping center at seven. So, they had two hours at most before heading to Alex's house to start the party.

_'Why me? Just why me?' _Alex kept repeating this in her head as she and Ichigo were walking by a few of the stores that she and Bobo had visited before. Anytime that Alex was alone with Ichigo, she would always complain, saying that it was bad luck. Breaking the silence, Alex asked, "Where should we go first?"

Ichigo shrugged with his scowl permanently on his features, "Wherever, I guess. You're the birthday girl, so why not you choose?"

"Well, I guess we can..." The same store with the same black and white dress forced her to stop and stare at it like last time. Ichigo stopped as well and saw what caused Alex to stop so abruptly.

"You must really like that dress, huh?"

Alex was brought out of her trance, happy to know that she wasn't stuck in it for long this time. "Oh, yeah, I do... Hey," she turned to face him, "How about we go in there first? I wanna try on a few things."

Ichigo nodded and followed her as they went across the road or pathway and into the store.

The first thing that Alex did was look around for the desired dress. Apparently, it was a new addition to the store's catalog and recently had a large shipment of them. It was a rather popular item, but there were still plenty. Alex found her size and went into the fitting rooms to try it on. Ichigo waited near a rack of tops and messed with the hangers out of boredom. The sound of his friend's voice was like music to his ears. "Finally! How long does it take to put on one measly dress?"

Alex called from behind the door, "Oh, shut up! I had to get my own clothes off, ya know!" The door opened, and Alex wore the alternating, black and white dress. It fit her body well, especially since the material was cotton. The end of the dress made a sort of small opening in the front and showed off a little more of her fair skinned legs. "So, what do you think?" She didn't pose or anything. She just did a few 360 twirls. As she twirled, the bottom of the dress flew up and seemed like a saucer.

Ichigo only looked her up and down before answering, "You look...nice." No smirk, no smile. Just a surprised expression. He wasn't exactly the type of guy that would go crazy over a girl in whatever outfit she wore. If it looked nice, then it looked nice.

A hand was placed on a jutted out hip as Alex stared blankly at the tall boy. "Really? Then would you mind explaining to me just why you have a slight blush on your cheeks?" She couldn't help but to let out a small laugh as she pointed at his face amusingly.

Ichigo blinked in confusion. He looked in a nearby mirror and was _that _close to freaking out. But with his tough guy demeanor, the only reaction he gave was a clench of his teeth and a throbbing vein. "Like that actually means anything!"

"Oh, _sure_ it doesn't."

"Shut up!"

Alex just had to laugh aloud this time. The way Ichigo would react most of the time was just too funny! It was even funnier when she was the one causing it. When the two finally calmed down, they bought the dress and left the store. Actually, Ichigo was kind enough to help pay for it. He thought that since it was Alex's birthday, she deserved it. But Alex objected and would pay him back whenever she could. He didn't argue about that, so it was left alone right at that.

It was almost time to head back to the entrance. Everyone else was having a blast as they shopped around and hung out. But alas, the time had then ran out, and they were too return to the meet-up spot.

As they approached the house where the party was being held, everyone but Alex, Tatsuki, and Orihime were pretty amazed at the sight. There weren't any decorations or anything outside. But just the size of it alone made them stare in awe.

"Whoa..." Keigo said.

"Now that is one big house!" said Mizuiro.

"Wow," Chad deadpanned.

"I never knew you were living in such luxury, Alex," Rukia said, turning to the birthday girl.

Alex put both hands on her hips. "Well, you know now." '_Even I didn't know about this until early this month.'_

Ichigo was the only one that didn't say anything. His brown eyes only stared at the house's huge size.

Orihime saw this and wondered what was wrong with Ichigo. "Ichigo, are you okay? It looks like you're being hypnotized!" A short gasp escaped the ginger. "What if we're all being hypnotized right now? What if Alex's parents are simply plotting to make us into their minions and will try to take over Japan?!"

"Orihime, stop imagining such wild things." Tatsuki calmed the imaginative girl. There were times when she just needed to keep her crazy assumptions in her head. The weird cooking was bad enough. "Besides, if that really were the case, then you and I would have been their minions a long time ago."

"Oh yeah... Never mind!"

_'Oh, Orihime. I worry about you sometimes...'_ Alex sighed before she clapped her hands together to bring everyone's attention to her. "Alright people, let's get this show on the road!"

"Party time!" Keigo pumped a fist in the air while running inside.

"Yay! Party!" Orihime followed in suit as both hands shot in the air.

Tatsuki laughed while running after her. "Wait up, Orihime!"

Mizuiro laughed and hurried after them.

Chad nodded and silently ran inside.

"I wonder if they have any rabbit goodies," Rukia wondered, rushing inside and leaving Alex and Ichigo behind.

You know that feeling Alex would get with Ichigo? Well, it got to her again. '_What the hell! Why can't it just give me break? It's my birthday for crying out loud!'_ "Come on, Ichigo. Don't you wanna head inside?" She asked while pointing her thumb in the direction of her home.

Instead of answering her, Ichigo went into his pocket and pulled out a small baby blue box with a bright red bow. "Here," he handed it to Alex and waited for her to open it.

Alex did so, and the contents on the inside made her green eyes shimmer like sparkling emeralds. It was a silver, spade shaped locket that had a silver chain connected to it. She pulled it out of the box by the chain carefully and examined it even further as the last bit of the setting sun's light shined off of it. "It's so...beautiful." Alex faced him and slightly lowered the necklace. "And, how did you know what shape to get it in?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head while his eyes were closed. "Do you always have a question to ask every chance you get? I saw you drawing a bunch of spades in your notebook. So, I figured that you liked spades." He walked closer to her and took the chain out of her hand. "Hold your hair up." Alex did what he said and grabbed her shoulder length hair up as if she were putting it in a ponytail. Ichigo brought the necklace in front of her, pulled it back, and clicked the latch on. Once she heard it, Alex let go of her hair and turned to Ichigo.

"Um...how does it look?";

"Why do girls even ask guys about how they look?" Ichigo turned his head to the side. "It's pretty annoying. And it's like I said about the dress: it looks nice."

Alex smiled, "That's all I needed to hear. Now, let's hurry up before all of the food is gone!" She grabbed Ichigo by the arm and dragged him to the where the life of the evening was.

"H-Hey! What are you trying to do, pull my arm off?!" Ichigo yelled behind her.

A laugh was Alex's answer as they entered into her home.

* * *

_**I hope you guys like the little break from the plot. Up next will be the introduction of Uryu Ishida!**_

_**Bye-bye!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Welcome, everyone, to another chapter of this story. I am grateful for the reviews that have been left by my readers and followers. Most of them are starting to make me wanna read this story myself! But enough about this note; on to the disclaimer!**_

_**I, of course, have no ownership over the characters and plot of Tite Kubo's Bleach. The only ones that I own are the characters I have created.**_

_**Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"Outrageous!" Mr. Kagine, the Physical Ed teacher, yelled at the eight high school students that has brought shame to Karakura High. They were in the principal's office with the principal himself and Ms. Ochi, their teacher. "Don't you see that damage that have you done? This ridiculous show was broadcast on national television yesterday!"

From the way they were all responding to his yells, it seemed like Chad, Ichigo, and Tatsuki weren't really that affected by it. However, Rukia, Orihime, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Alex, had felt terrible for what they have done. Although, most of the people there weren't even at fault. The real trouble makers were Rukia and Ichigo. Alex was with Tatsuki and Orihime. The rest of them were only there by coincidence. But the gym teacher just had to blame them for something.

Mr. Kagine went on. "Just look!" He pointed a remote at a projector-like television to replay the events of last night. It showed Ichigo running away from a horde of security guards before they dog piled on him. Rukia was seen putting on her red glove but was also stopped. "With two of our student there for all of the world to see!" He stared down upon the students with a disappointed look. "Rukia and Ichigo, this is very serious. Never in the history of this school has any student dishonored this institution with committing such an act of civil disobedience!" Mr. Kagine then pulled Ichigo up by his shirt collar. Knowing him, he only stared blankly at him with his usually scowl.

"Mr. Kagine?" Tatsuki interrupted with a hand help up.

Said man turned his attention away from Ichigo to her. "Hm?"

Tatsuki began to explain herself. "Sir, I can understand why you're angry at Rukia and Ichigo for acting like a bunch of stupid idiots. But why are Orihime and I here when we didn't have anything to do with this?"

Alex shot her a comical look. Oh! Leave the American out of your little group of innocent people, huh? I'll remember this later, Tatsuki!

"You were there with them the whole time this was going on!" Mr. Kagine said. Ichigo also turned to hear what Tatsuki had to say.

She closed her eyed and explained further. "That was a mere coincidence. We were just walking by and suddenly got dragged into the whole mess!"

"Great," Ichigo's eye twitched at Tatsuki as a sweat drop appeared on his head. "Thanks a lot! I'll remember this the next time you need someone to bail you out!"

As a response to his mental note, the tough girl only stuck her tongue out at him while pulling down at a bottom eyelid. Orihime nearly freaked out at the way Tatsuki was acting to Ichigo and tried to calm her down.

"Anyway, this has been fun, Mr. Kagine. But we're going back to class if you don't mind." Tatsuki faced her best friend. "Come on, Orihime." She started to head out.

Orihime politely bowed before following Tatsuki and exiting the office. "Goodbye Mr. Kagine."

"Yeah, me too. I've got some homework-." Keigo started as he tried to leave as well. He failed and was held by Mr. Kagine as he grabbed onto the back of his shirt.

"Not so fast! You were there with them, yet you did nothing to stop them. So you're just as guilty as Ichigo!"

"I still don't get what the big deal is; it's just a stupid TV show." Keigo whined.

Sometimes, that boy just needs a good slap upside the head. Alex's brow twitched in annoyance at the dumb boy. And if it were just a 'stupid TV show', then how come he was so eager to go in the first place? Man, Keigo would say anything to get his butt out of trouble.

But unfortunately for him, Mr. Kagine had blown up at his statement. He pulled him up closer. "You don't get much now do you, mister? That's the trouble with you kids today: no awareness of the consequences of your actions. It's depressing!"

"I'm so sorry!" Rukia said while taking out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears that dared to break free. She was using her little innocent girl act to get her out of this mess. "I really did try to stop Ichigo, but he wouldn't listen!" She wiped away some of her tears, holding the cloth to her chest while giving off a distant look up at the ceiling. "All he ever thinks about is himself and he was so obsessed with getting on television." Rukia turned her head back down with her violet eyes closed. "The whole thing is all my fault; go ahead and…punish me."

Ohhh, I see what you're doing! Alex, too, had followed the smart girl as she forced tears to slightly flow from her own eyes. A sniffle or two was heard as the gym teacher had looked at both girls. "Mr. Kagine, the only one that should be punished should really," a sob came out, "be me. Please spare everyone else. And Rukia was only trying to cover up for the both of us. I too am at fault for not stopping Ichigo and his wild antics." She brought the backs of her hands to her eyes as she rubbed at them like a child. "I don't want Rukia to take a bullet for. She's too kind to be harshly…punished."

Mr. Kagine saw both sweet girls cry and released his grip on Keigo. He went over to them, pity taking over his whole being. "Uh…Please don't cry Rukia, Alex. I understand. Both of you did everything you could have."

While those two had his attention, the boys saw this as an opportunity to escape through an open window. One by one, they sneakily made their way to their exit.

The girls kept going with their sob act. "Thank you, Mr. Kagine." Rukia said.

Alex wiped her tears away. "We really appreciate you complimenting our efforts."

"So, you'll punish Ichigo and let us go?" And that was the signal.

Unfortunately, Mr. Kagine noticed the boys out of the corner of his eye. They nearly panicked but instead hightailed it out of there. The PE teacher ran over to the window while yelling and jutting a finger at the escaping students. "You punks! Get your butts back here right now! You're not getting off that easily; I know where you all live!" He whipped his head behind him and realized that the two sobbing girls were gone without a trance. "Oh great, now Rukia Kuchiki and Alexandria Rosewood have gotten away too!" He faced the other two staff members with an angered pose and look. "What should we do?"

The old, white haired principal simply fanned his hand at him. "Just do me a favor and when you do find Ichigo, could you get his autograph for me?"

Mr. Kagine yelled with tears flowing out of his eyes like fountains. "Has everyone here lost their minds?"

Meanwhile, the entire bunch was walking down the school courtyard. Keigo thanked Rukia and Alex for their distraction. "Way to go you two. Your awesome performances got us off scott free with no detention!"

"Oh you guys, it was nothing really!" Rukia said.

Alex smirked. "That was a walk in the park! It's how I got myself out of trouble back home in North Dakota!"

But Ichigo wasn't exactly happy with their little acts. "What are you talking about? They were trying to sell me up the river."

"Oh, come now, Ichigo. I'm not the mastermind here. I only saw what Rukia was doing and joined in. Besides," Alex slightly lowered her head. "If you hadn't have made such a scene last night, we wouldn't have been in this mess!"

A large vein popped over Ichigo's head as glared at the brunette. "Why you little!"

"Ya gotta admit that their phony crying covered your getaway! You outta be thanking them." Tatsuki defended for both girls.

"Actually, I kind of enjoyed putting on the big act and fooling Mr. Kagine, so no thanks necessary! But you have to know, I would never sell out a good friend like Ichigo." Rukia said in her fake voice.

Ichigo silently growled at her in annoyance. Well that's a load of bull, since you had no trouble doing it just now!

Out of nowhere, the spade shaped locket Alex wore around her neck gave off a faint, blue glow. Rukia's Soul Pager started beeping soon after. That's weird. Is this locket able to sense Hollows? Alex gently brought the locket up to her eyes. The glow was gone now. Probably just the sunlight reflecting off of it.

"Oh, Ichigo, could I talk to you for a moment in private?" The two started towards a different direction. Rukia curtsied, "Would you guys excuse us for just a minute?" She giggled then ran off with Ichigo to help him change into a Soul Reaper before heading out for the Hollow.

Alex would have gone with them, but she knew that they weren't going to find one when they got there. Plus the ghost that's left behind is such a crybaby.

"Well that's weird." Keigo said as the rest of them watched them leave.

"I never noticed before…but," Orihime spoke up. "Those two seem to like each other, don't they?"

It actually made Alex think about it. But the thought was soon brushed off. Rukia and Ichigo were only friends, nothing more, nothing less. They weren't planning on changing that anytime soon, or at all.

Keigo also objected the idea, but his reasoning was different from hers. "Nah, you're imagining things. Ichigo might like Rukia, but there's so no way she'd be interested in him." They all soon walked in the direction the two ran off in and headed back inside the school building.

"Something's suspicious." Mizuiro added.

Alex stepped back and looked up at a window. Just as she suspected, there was a student with glasses that was also staring back at her. He then walked off. So, it's already come to that episode, huh? This isn't going to be pretty… She hurried and caught up with the rest of her friends. It seemed like Chad also noticed the boy observing them from the window too, for he strode back over to the group after her.

Everyone in their class was now gathered around the posted results from their assessment. Tatsuki found Orihime in third and congratulated her by petting and rubbing her head. "Third in the class? Pretty smart for a girl, Orihime!"

Orihime laughed cheerfully with a smile.

One of their friends, Michiru, whined. "No fair! Orihime has boobs and brains!"

"If you makes you feel better, she's a terrible cook!" Tatsuki quietly said to her while pointing to her bubbly friend.

Jade green eyes searched through the names of the top fifty board. The owner of them finally found her name next to number 7. "Alright! I'm seventh in the class!" Alex pumped a fist in the air with a proud smile. She had to work a little harder than most of the other students, for she was still fairly new to Karakura High. But thankfully, Orihime and Tatsuki were able to help her catch up, so it wasn't so hard afterwards. And Alex was grateful for their help, for she would have probably had an even lower rank, most likely below the 30s.

Keigo looked at the board himself. But he and Mizuiro weren't all that concerned about it. "Ah, let the girls get their high scores. At least none of our gang embarrasses us by making it into the top 50, right Mizuiro?"

Mizuiro searched through the list one last time and pointed a finger at another person's name. "Take another look."

Keigo did so before freaking out. "Wh…What! Ichigo is ranked number 23!"

"Oh boy…" Alex sighed while staring off to the side. She already knew how this would turn out. So she thought about something else, like the faint glow her necklace gave off. To be honest, I'm not sure whether or not it was the sun reflecting off of it or if it was something else. It could possibly be sensing hostile spiritual pressure in the area. But that's just my guess.

She came out of her thoughts for a moment and saw Chad pointing at the board again. It showed that he was ranked 11. This made both Keigo and Mizuiro over-react and ran off saying something about being 'through with all of them'. Frankly, Alex could care less about what he thinks of them being smarting than them. What it is with those two anyways?

"Oh well, they'll be back." Tatsuki sighed while they all started at their idiot friends.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "I guess it's lucky for him none of us isn't in the number one spot." He turned to the list and tried making out the name. "Like Ametatsu Ishida." Ichigo stared at the name with a questionably look. "I've never even heard of him."

Orihime corrected Ichigo. "That's Uryu. Uryu Ishida."

"You mean you know him?"

"Yeah, of course, he's in our class."

Ichigo suddenly froze with a sweat drop in an embarrassing manner. It was obvious that it was pretty sad of him to not notice.

Tatsuki explained to Orihime as to why he reacted that way. "You'll find that Ichigo has an uncanny knack for forgetting people's faces and the names that go with them." She grabbed Orihime with her as they left him behind. "Come on."

Ichigo was still thinking about it. His arms were crossed over his chest. "Hmm… Now that's weird."

"You are just sad Ichigo, you know that?" Alex playfully smiled at her forgetful friend. "I remember that you forget who I was my first day here."

Ichigo gritted his teeth at Alex. "Don't you have anything else better to do other than ticking me off?"

"Hm…That's a good question. But making you tick seems to be more fun!"

He sweat dropped at her while his mouth twitched.

Meanwhile, Rukia was outside trying to get in touch with Kisuke Urahara. Seeing that he wasn't going to pick up anytime soon, she set the phone down and yelled at. But seeing that it was useless, she crouched down and began poking at it. A beeping sound then came from it. A Hollow was in the area. Rukia quickly grabbed the phone and ran off to find Ichigo and Alex.

Ichigo was still with his three other guy friends while Alex waved goodbye before heading on home. They replied back before Keigo said something about a hot hostess at a Karaoke place. He was interrupted when Rukia snatched Ichigo away. Since she didn't make it that far, Alex was pulled along with them by Rukia as well.

As they ran through the hallways, Ichigo accidentally bumped into someone's shoulder. He apologized and continued running. The other simply adjusted his glasses and gently brushed his shoulder.

Later on that day when night fell, Ichigo and Rukia were once again met with no Hollow. Alex and Rukia were dragging Ichigo's body with a bit of struggle. "Sheesh, he looks slim and all but sure does feel a bit heavy!" Alex said to herself as they finally came to a stopping point.

Ichigo was pissed off. "Dammit! Again you drag me all the way out here and there's no Hollow!"

"Shut up!" Rukia said. "Stop whining and get back into your body." She took her Soul Pager out again.

"Fine, but would you do something about those stupid Soul Pagers?" He took hold of his body and returned his soul into it.

"These false alarms aren't my fault!" Rukia said. "If it goes off, I have to assume that a Hollow has appeared, so I reported. What else can I do?"

Ichigo's body was sitting cross legged when he came to. "Well, get it fixed 'cause it's busted." He stood up on his feet.

"They don't fix them at TV repair shops." Rukia retorted.

Alex huffed and crossed her arms under her chest. "By the way, a 'thank you' would be nice for dragging your damn body all the way out here!"

"Fine! Thank you!" Ichigo said as yet another vein popped over his head.

Rukia smirked in agreement. "Alex is right, you know. You should be more appreciative of the small things we do."

Ichigo stared wide eyed at the petite girl. "Not you too, Rukia!"

What they didn't notice was the presence of an unknown man. "Bickering are we?" All three of them turned to see a man in white garb and glasses approach them from behind. "How unprofessional." He stopped a good distance away, his glasses glowed a white light. "Good evening, Ichigo, Rukia, and Alex." The greeting didn't exactly sound too friendly. It dripped with a bit of malice.

"Who the hell are you?" Ichigo asked as he turned his whole body to face him. "And how do you know our names if you don't mind-."

He cut him short, "I don't mind. I also know you and Alex can see spirits, Ichigo."

Both Ichigo's and Rukia's eyes widened in shock. Alex kept her composure, for she already knew about this.

"How…do you know that?"

Ichigo's question was brushed off when the man in white whipped his head in another direction. "Another Hollow has just appeared."

Rukia didn't believe that it was true. "No way." But the beeping of her Soul Pager said otherwise. She flipped it open and indeed saw that he was right. "There's a new one here alright. How did he know?"

"Alright, which way?" Ichigo asked. He didn't really care how this guy knew. He just had to find and exercise the Hollow.

The unknown man pointed the way. As he did, something dangled out from his long sleeve. It was a silver cross with a metal circle where it intersected. "It's over there." Both Ichigo and Rukia were surprised at his immediate guess. But that was just it, he wasn't guessing. "Can you not sense such a simple thing? And you call yourself a Soul Reaper." The silver cross on his wrist suddenly released a blue light. The energy shot up to the point where it made an arc in the hand that held the cross. The man's other hand pulled back what seemed like an arrow made from the blue energy. He went down one knee, preparing to fire the arrow. He aimed at something in the distance before releasing the shot of energy.

Ichigo and Rukia were amazed at such power. Alex was also impressed herself. It's not every day that someone can witness this kind of action up close. The arrow shot towards its target as if it were a lightning strike. The Hollow that the man had sensed before appeared for a short time but was soon struck through the skull by the arrow. It was soon wiped out. But there was a difference in how it disappeared. Instead of dissipating into black particles in an upwards motion, it vanished into white particles from where the arrow had struck it, a blue light being the last thing that was be seen. Strange.

Rukia was in too much shock. She checked her pager once more as her eyes widened. "The signal just vanished!"

Ichigo couldn't believe it either. He turned to the man in white clad. "So tell me, who or what are you?"

"Uryu Ishida; I'm a Quincy." Uryu turned to face the trio. "Soul Reapers are my enemies."

"Just what do you mean?" Ichigo said.

"Is that too complicated for you? I'll you again then, slower this time." There was a glint of light in his glasses he as stared at Ichigo. "Ichigo Kurosaki, you are my enemy."

The bell at Karakura High rang as Ichigo walked down a hallway with a ticked off face and mood. The encounter he had with Uryu Ishida last night was still on his mind. Ichigo then stopped and tried to figure out what the hell his name was again. It really is sad that he can't get rid of that bad habit of his. Thankfully, Orihime overhead and helped him out again. She told him that Uryu was even in the Home Handicrafts Club with her.

"Home Handi-what?" Ichigo yelled in disbelief. He just had to see this.

Meanwhile, Alex stared out the window with worry. She was in an empty classroom as one of her hands was placed on her chest while the other gripped onto the hem of her skirt. Her locket glows the same blue light from yesterday. Alex didn't need to see it this time. She could feel it on her skin. The locket gave off a somewhat warm feeling. It made her feel safe and protected. This is getting weirder and weirder by the day. But that isn't my concern right now. What worries me is what's going to happen today… The hand on her chest clenched into a tight fist. Sometimes, I would regret ever making that wish. But what's done is done. No turning back now…

After school, Alex saw Ichigo sneakily following Uryu. But unlike him, she was able to hide most of her spirit energy, so she didn't get caught. However…

As Uryu reached the top of a set of stairs, he stopped in his tracks. "Do you intend on following me all the way home, Ichigo Kurosaki?" He also sensed a faint presence of someone else, most likely the brunette girl that was there with them last night. But he ignored and hoped that she wouldn't be a nuisance.

Ichigo stepped out of hiding. "Heh, guess I'm not as sneaky as I thought I was. So when did you first notice me?" His bag was being held over his shoulder with one hand holding the strap.

"From the time you and Orihime saw me in the classroom. You've been ducking in and out of shadows behind me ever since."

"That long, huh? Well that's impressive."

Uryu looked over his shoulder. "The careless way you leak out your spirit energy, even a monkey would have noticed it. Amateur stuff."

Alex tried so hard not to stifle a laugh. She had to concentrate and keep herself hidden. One slip up and that's it.

Ichigo wasn't exactly taking the insult so well. His tone then sounded more threatening as he growled. "What did you say?"

Uryu wasn't affected by his tone. "You heard me. It's obvious that you lack even the most basic ability to detect those around you with high spirit energy. How else can you explain the fact that you weren't even aware of my existence until today?"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Ichigo was still glaring at him. "It's just that I've always been really bad at remembering names and faces."

Uryu made a complete 180 turn toward Ichigo. His glasses glowed white again as the sunlight bounced off of them. "That's not what I mean. There's a difference between you and me." He pushed up his glasses, making the light go away as it was replaced with Ichigo standing at the foot of the stairs. "When you first started at this school I sensed your high spirit energy, and if you were any good you would've sensed mine. I even know the day and mid-May you became a Soul Reaper."

Ichigo really wasn't taking this so well. His eyed were still shaking with anger at the insult of his abilities to sense people's spirit energy.

Uryu continued. "And I also know Rukia Kuchiki's true identity."

All of a sudden, the area around them dimmed as a blue light emitted from beneath Uryu. White ribbons shot up as they dance around him. Ichigo noticed this and was surprised to see that even Uryu had the ability to use them. "Spirit Ribbons."

"For a change, you're right. Spirit Ribbons are the physical manifestation of spirit energy in the atmosphere. And," He then dashed forward to grab something in front of Ichigo. At first it was just air, but then it appeared to be a red Spirit Ribbon.

Ichigo froze in place as if being held by Uryu's hand itself. "What is that?"

Uryu explained. "This is your Spirit Ribbon." He then yanked a piece of it off while straightening himself up from his crouched down position. "You didn't know that? Soul Reapers' Spirit Ribbons are a different color than normal ones." Uryu released his hold on the piece of Ichigo's Spirit Ribbon as it soon deteriorated into little firework sparks.

Alex's eyes slightly widened in awe. This was actually her first time seeing Spirit Ribbons. But what made it a little confusing was the other red ribbon that danced behind them. I thought that Uryu was a Quincy? Or maybe there's another Soul Reaper in the area… It troubled her, not being able to figure out whose Spirit Ribbon it belonged to.

"Why don't we play a little game, Ichigo Kurosaki?" The sound of his voice made Alex pay attention again.

Alex knew what Uryu was implying. She hung her head as dark lines waved above her head. Why me? Why the hell is it always me!I

"Let's have a duel to see which one is stronger, the Quincy or the Soul Reaper. I'll show you just how unnecessary Soul Reapers are in this world." Uryu said.

Alex's grip on her bag tightened which each passing second. This wasn't exactly going to be such a joyride for anyone. But…what's going to happen to me? Will I be eaten by a Hollow? Protected by Ichigo? What? Her green eyes meet with the ground beneath her feet. If only I knew another way to become a Soul Reaper. I wouldn't be so damn scared right now! I don't know if the strength that I have will stand a chance against the Hollows...

* * *

_**Stopping it ri~ight there! But don't you worry; another chapter will be out soon. Be patient with me now.**_

_**Bye-bye!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, the plot, or its characters, only my own.**_

_**Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Ichigo and Uryu were facing each other on the stairs. "So when is this duel of yours supposed to take place?" Ichigo asked.

"Right now." Uryu answered.

The two seemed like they were trying to see whose glare was more threatening than the other. Alex tensed up as she hid in the shadows. "Ichigo…" She whispered to herself.

Said boy grunted. "That idea is ridiculous!" He crossed his arms over his chest.

Uryu was a bit curious at his comment. "Why do you say that?"

"Because it would be a waste of time, and I've got nothing to prove to you!" Ichigo had his head turned up and away, avoiding eye contact with Uryu. "I've never heard of Quincies before and I don't know what you have against Soul Reapers. But it's got nothing to do with me!"

"What a surprise. You're afraid to fight."

Ichigo brought his attention away from the sky and back to the Quincy. "Forget trying to goad me into it. Besides, I'd mop the floor with you." He began walking away from Uryu without another say. Alex was almost relieved that Ichigo backed down. But she just knew that it wouldn't be that easy.

"Now I get it. You don't have permission." He made Ichigo stop and listen. Uryu reached up to adjust his glasses. "I forgot, your powers came from Rukia. You're actually just a _substitute _Soul Reaper. That probably means that on your own, you can't so much as lift a finger. You have to have her permission to duel, don't you?"

_Dammit Uryu! Why couldn't you have just left him alone? _Alex gritted her teeth in annoyance.

Ichigo wouldn't stand for it either. He looked at Uryu over his shoulder with his usual scowl. "That does it."

Alex slowly inched forward. Ichigo really planned on doing this. Once again, the light glow from the previous times emitted from her locket. _Huh? What is it now? I don't sense a Hollow anywhere near here. But to be honest, I'm not quite sure if I can sense them at all. _She sweat dropped as she smiled sheepishly.

"Alright, if it's a duel you want, then it's a duel you'll get." Ichigo zipped his bag open only to bring out the annoying and perverted stuffed lion.

"It's about time, Ichigo!" Kon yelled at him.

Uryu watched with interest at the talking stuffed doll.

Kon started to complain. "Why did leave me in that bag all day? I don't care what Rukia says. Don't you ever do that to me again!" He jabbed a paw at Ichigo.

Ichigo stared at him with a somewhat dark look. "Cough it up."

Those were the only three words that made Kon plead for his life. "W-Wait a second! Forget what I said about the bag!" He started to flail his limbs around in protest. "You can put me back there!" His words became muffled as a hand was shoved down his throat.

Ichigo searched for the green pill and finally found it. "Aha!" He took it out of the now limb plush toy and wiped it clean, for there was still a bit of slobber on it. The pill was popped into his mouth before going down his throat. Once inside, Ichigo was pushed out of his body and was now a Soul Reaper. "Kon, you better get back." Ichigo warned him as he smirked at Uryu. "I'm about to give Mr. Handicraft some stitches to sew."

Kon did what he said and stood behind Ichigo. Alex was slowly inching out from her hiding spot to get a better look of what was happening.

"So how does this little duel of yours work?" Ichigo said with confidence. "Tell me the rules and let's get to it!"

Uryu and Ichigo both stared down at each other before their challenge began. Uryu then took out an unknown object from his breast pocket. "We'll use this to begin." It was a small, silver capsule. "It will help."

"Huh?" Ichigo didn't exactly get what that small thing would do to help with their duel. "And what is that?"

Uryu simply answered, "Bait, to bring in Hollows. If I crush this, Hollows will start gathering here quickly."

"What the hell!"

"The rules are quite simple. Whoever kills the most Hollows in 24 hours will be the winner." Uryu straightened up a bit. "Simple isn't it? Even you can understand how that works."

Oh, Ichigo understood how it worked alright. But it didn't mean that it was the right way. "That won't work! What are you thinking? Doing that would put everyone who lives here in danger. This battle is just between us!"

Uryu didn't flinch whatsoever. "Why are you making such a big deal out of this? Believe me; no one is going to get hurt, because I know I will be able wipe out every single Hollow that shows up here."

Ichigo clenched his teeth while growling, holding in his anger.

Uryu smirked at the angered, orange haired boy. "If you had more confidence in your abilities to protect people from Hollows, you wouldn't be worried. And you would accept this challenge." Either way, Ichigo didn't have a choice, for Uryu snapped the capsule into pieces.

Once the capsule was broken, there were strange cracking sounds that were heard all around them. Alex, Ichigo, and Kon nervously looked around the sky and area. Ichigo was the first to notice a dark opening appear. There were sharp tipped hands coming out of it as a head of some sort of animal howled. Before it could come out any further, a blue arrow was shot straight into it, killing the Hollow. Uryu was of course the one responsible for firing the arrow. "And that's one for me."

Ichigo couldn't take it anymore. He ran toward Uryu, grabbed him by the collar, and knocked him down onto the concrete. Ichigo was so angry that he couldn't even find the words to express his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Uryu was unaffected by his actions. "Why does your face look so tense, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo growled at the glasses wearing boy. "Change things back right now, and get those Hollows outta here!"

"It's too late for that. Soon the bait will have the whole town crawling with Hollows. Sorry, but the Dai has already been cast." He saw that Ichigo was even more pissed off. "You should use your time in a better way than this. There are people out there that need you." Ichigo released his hold on Uryu. "I suggest you better hurry if you're going to protect the whole town from those Hollows."

They both stood up from the ground. Uryu took a few steps forward.

"Damn you!" Ichigo said.

Uryu stopped as his back was now to Ichigo. "I suppose I should remind you: it's a fact that Hollows have a tendency to attack those who have a high level of spirit energy, first. I hope that helps."

Alex froze in place. Her green eyes almost had a dead look in them. _That means that…I'm one of the people that will be attacked by the Hollows first! _This was bad. How would Alex be able to defend herself? _Should I stay by Ichigo? No, he'll be too dead set on trying to protect his family. Should I just go home? No, that would only put my family in danger. I don't want to bring them any harm! But what should I do? _Her body began to tremble with fear. Was there anything that she can do?

As expected, Ichigo's face went into shock. "Karin, Yuzu! Dammit!" Ichigo ran to start the search for his little sisters.

"Hey, Ichigo, wait up!" Kon hurried after him, making sure to bring his plush body with him.

Uryu turned to see Ichigo and Kon run off. "Ichigo, you are blind, unaware of the other gifted people around you. Besides your family, you know others with spirit energy need your help. He's lucky I'll be killing all the Hollows that could harm those near and dear to him. No matter, all of this will just help him realize just how weak his power is. At last, he's reach that point, the point of no return."

At the second to last sentence, Alex came out of her state of fear and stepped out of her hiding place. "What did you say about Ichigo powers?"

The feminine voice caused Uryu to look over his shoulder. It was indeed the same woman that was there with Ichigo and Rukia last night. "So, you finally decided to show yourself and come out of your shell."

Alex had to keep her cool with this one. But she still gave him a death glare as her fists tightened to the extent of making her knuckles turn white. "Shut the hell up, Uryu. Now answer my damn question."

Uryu smirked. "Oh, that. I simply said that his powers are weak. Why are you defending a Soul Reaper anyway?"

"Why don't you sew your mouth shut before I kick your ass?" she growled.

_From the looks of the uniform she bears, it seems that this woman goes to our school. And sadly, she also seems to have gotten some of Ichigo Kurosaki's bad habits. _"You're Alexandria Rosewood, correct?"

Alex didn't loosen up one bit. "Yeah, so?"

"I see, then you must have the ability to see spirits as well as a few others with high spirit energy." Uryu adjusted his glasses. "I was still able to sense your faint spirit energy while you were hiding. I must say that I'm impressed to see that you are capable of hiding nearly all of it. But it still won't be enough to keep the Hollows from coming after you. So, I suggest you either leave me to exterminate these Hollows or find someone else to protect you. And don't bother running to Ichigo for help. For as I told you twice now, he is weak and blind."

Alex couldn't believe this guy! Here she thought that he wasn't going to be so cruel. "You know what? I'd rather have someone weak and blind with a strong heart and determination to save and protect anyone who is in danger than a guy like you trying to prove a point in strength to protect me!" She ran off in the direction Ichigo went, hoping that he hasn't gone too far.

Uryu was a little surprised at Alex. She must be quite close with Ichigo. Either that or she's in some sort of debt. He looked up to the sky only to see an image of his Sensei in the sky. His hands clenched into tight fists. The Quincy cross on his wrist emitted out the same blue energy from before as his arm was stretched out. His bow was formed once again. "Soul Reapers are such useless scum!"

* * *

"Dammit! Ichigo, where the hell are you?" Alex cursed at herself. She had been running around Karakura Town for a pretty long time now. Alex was now at a playground. Ichigo was only a few yards away from her when she started, but then she suddenly lost him. It would have been nice to sense his spirit energy right about now!

"Oh, wait." Alex stopped. "Maybe if I can try using the Spirit Ribbons, I'll be able to find him! Now, all I have to do is concentrate." Her eyes closed and her breathing slowed to a more relaxed pace. A moment later, long pieces of white silk shot out of the ground beneath Alex. She opened her eyes and smiled at her results. "Yes! Now, where's the red ribbon?"

It didn't take long for her to find the red Spirit Ribbon. "Gotcha!" Alex reached out for it but was somehow frozen in place. Her hand was just a few inches away from touching the soft felt ribbon. But there was something else that had her attention. Her jade green eyes stared up at the sky and sensed an ominous feeling as there was a large and narrow crack in the sky. There were others with the ability to sense and see spirit beings that noticed the dark slit in the sky as well, such as Orihime, Chad, Karin, Uryu, and Rukia. Ichigo had been busy with the numerous Hollows that attacked him as he searched for his sister, so he didn't notice it.

"No… I've gotta hurry and-." As she reached for Ichigo's Spirit Ribbon, something had slammed against her side, forcing her to fly towards a dome of monkey bars. The force of impact caused the yellow bars to bend easily. Her body then fell limply onto the ground.

Alex's eyes had shown pain and confusion. _What...was that just now? _Her green eyes looked up to see a Hollow with an oval-like mask. Its body was long and stood on its four legs. A long tail from behind the Hollow swished around, mocking her. "A…Hollow…"

It laughed menacingly at the girl's limp form. It's distorted and rugged voice made Alex try to get herself back up. "Such a shame to see that such a tasty looking soul is so weak. I would have thought that you were to at least put up a fight. But that's just fine with me, because it makes eating you easier!"

The brunette had easily gotten up on her feet. There were several shots of pain coming from her back. But she had to stay strong and somehow fight this guy off. She smirked at the Hollow. "Oh, so you actually think that I'm weak? Think again, Hollow scum!"

"Like you could actually land a single-!"

Alex didn't give the Hollow any time to have a say. She ran as fast as her legs could go and leaped into the air. "If you're so hungry, then why not eat my foot!" Her right foot made contact onto the animal-like Hollow. It was indeed caught off guard by the sudden attack. The Hollow was forced to move a few steps back.

"Hey! Didn't anyone teach you that it's rude to interrupt someone when their talking!"

"Sorry, it doesn't apply to Hollows," Alex said with a comical face. "And besides, why the hell would I want to wait for what _you _have to say when you're trying to eat me?"

"Hm...good point." It looked up with its yellow eyes and stared hungrily at Alex. "I take back what I said. You're not such a weakling after all. So, that means you'll actually be worthy as my meal!" The Hollow charged forward, aiming its tail at Alex.

Said girl saw this coming and quickly dodged it. The extended tail made a huge crater from where Alex used to be. "Damn. I'm just glad that I got out of the way." Alex was crouched down on one knee a few meters behind the Hollow.

"Savor your luck now, for the next time I swing my tail, it _will _destroy you!" The Hollow turned around to face Alex. It started to charge toward her again, ready to land another attack with its huge tail.

"Uh-oh." She kicked it into high gear and ran as fast as she could. Her legs maneuvered her through the playground and the equipment there as the Hollow simply destroyed or severely damaged every last one of them. It was a good thing that there were trees around the perimeter of the playground. Alex used the dust the Hollow's tail left behind with each attack as cover and hid herself behind a large tree. She had to think of something before she became this monster's snack! _Dammit! Ichigo, why did you have to run off like that? And why didn't I just go looking for Rukia in the first place? She's probably at Urahara's shop by now. I would have been safe there. _

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, little girl!" The Hollow called out as its tail swung around in an impatient manner.

Alex had to stay calm and not panic. If she panicked, then she wouldn't be able to think straight. Alex bowed her head in regret. The strands of her brown hair fell in front of her face, tickling her cheeks. _I guess this is all my fault that I'm in this mess. But I only wanted to help Ichigo make sure that his family was safe. Plus I wanted him to protect me and all of our friends when he sees that his sisters were okay. I just…I just wanted to prove Uryu wrong. _One of her hands reached up to touch the spade shaped locket. _Ichigo isn't weak. He's the strongest guy I know! He's always protected and saved the lives of those who were in danger. He'll worry about the safety of others, even if they may sometimes be complete and total strangers to him! _The locket's glow was now brighter than the other times. With each thought of Ichigo, the warm light grew more and more. _And that's why Ichigo isn't weak. He will _always _be strong! Otherwise..._ A memory of the day Alex and Ichigo first met flashed into her mind. _Otherwise, I wouldn't look up to him as a great friend!_Dust was soon flying around her as it formed into a circle. She stood up from behind the tree and faced the Hollow.

"Oh, there's my meal!" The Hollow said as it turned away from the damaged equipment. "It's about time you showed up. Now prepare to be eaten alive!"

"Not today," Alex said. Her tone was strong, as well as her green eyes. "You know, I just remembered something. There's a friend of mine protecting this town from the likes of you Hollows. If I let myself die here, I would never be able to forgive myself, for it would severely hurt Ichigo, knowing that he actually let one of his friends down." The locket was now glowing as bright as ever. "And you know what? I can't allow that to happen. I told myself that I would help Ichigo and Rukia the day I actually found the courage to ask if I can join them." Her hair flew up from the intensity of her growing energy. Alex yelled, " So I _will not _let a measly Hollow like you defeat me, ya got me?"

The Hollow became frightened at the sudden increase in power this puny human had. "Just…who the hell are?"

Alex's body was engulfed into the warm, blue light. The dust around her blown back, forcing the Hollow to turn away. Once everything cleared out, a girl in Soul Reaper attire but with shortened hakama pants that reached up near her mid-thigh appeared. They were still loose on her, though. The sleeves of the robe were longer than most Soul Reaper garbs. Her sealed Zanpakuto was sheathed in a light purple scabbard that was held horizontally by her white obi. "Who I am, you ask?" The girl reached for her sword.

The Hollow couldn't allow this to happen. It swung its mighty long tail, aiming it at the Soul Reaper. But before it could land on her, the blade left its case and sliced the tail clean off. This caused the Hollow to howl in pain as his precious tail fell limply on the ground before dissolving into the air. "Dammit! You'll pay for that you bastard!"

Those were the Hollow's last words, for the Soul Reaper had dashed forward and used both of her hands to cut her Zanpakuto through its mask in an upwards motion. One last howl had escaped the beast as the soul was purified. It dissipated into black particles up into the air.

The Soul Reaper that emerged from the bright blue light rested her sword on her shoulder. "I am Alexandria Rosewood, and I am now a substitute Soul Reaper."

* * *

"What is this?" Rukia stopped running as she felt familiar spirit energy. _Is this…Alex's spirit energy I sense? It's stronger now... _A tall Hollow with a stacked body and arms attacked Rukia from behind. She was able to easily dodge it and fired a Kido at it. "Hado No. 4: Byakurai!" A concentrated lightning bolt shot of her hand as it flew toward the Hollow's head. But it was deflected and shot back at her with only one of its arms. Rukia dodged it again as she crouched down on one knee. "Dammit." _These Hollows are small fry, practically harmless. Yet I can't beat them! After two months in this Gigai, I still don't have my strength back!_

An unknown figure was running toward the scene from behind Rukia. She looked over her shoulders just in time to see them jump high in the air and land a hard kick to the mask on the Hollow, sending it back a few or more feet away. Rukia saw a head of spiky, orange hair. "Is that Ichigo?"

It was indeed Ichigo. However, it was only his human body. So it was really Kon. He leaped forward and hugged Rukia while burying his face in her petite chest. "Ah, I've always wanted to do this for so long!"

Rukia had a vein popped over her head. "You're…Kon right?" She grabbed his arms to restrain himself from touching her and used one of her feet to kick his chin.

"It even feels good to get kicked like this!" It seemed like Kon sure was enjoying himself.

Rukia was struggling to keep him off of her. "Kon, this is no time for you to be acting like an idiot! Wait, if you're back in Ichigo's body, then he must have gotten transformed into a Soul reaper!"

Kon looked over Rukia and saw that there was someone approaching them. "Check it out, sis. Look behind you!"

Rukia did so and saw that it was someone she sort of knew.

"That's a good sign. Apparently this area is safe." It was Uryu standing over them. "Rukia Kuchiki. So this is actually the first I've spoken to you face to face."

_Is he ignoring me?_ Kon pointed at himself, a little stunned that he was forgotten.

Rukia kicked Kon under the chin to get him off of her. She rose with her normal composure. "I get it. So this is all _your_ doing."

"Yes, I've started this contest between me and the Soul Reaper," he answered.

"Now what?"

"No need to worry. I have no intention of letting any innocent bystanders die. Ichigo may run out of strength during the battle. But even if he does, _I _will protect the citizens of this town." Kon had gotten up to listen further. "Then, while the Soul Reaper watches, I alone will kill the Hollows."

Rukia looked down and noticed that both of Uryu's hands were covered in scratches as there was blood dripping from his fingers.

"And if I can't even accomplish that," his hand clenched into a tight fist, "then this whole battle is meaningless."

"I hope you mean it." Rukia wasn't exactly putting all of her faith in Uryu, but the least that she could do is believe in his words.

The Hollow that attacked Rukia earlier came back for another round. Uryu prepared his bow and pulled an arrow to attack. But what stopped him was someone else slicing the Hollow down the center, causing it to dissolve. Rukia, Kon, and Uryu were surprised at who it was. The one responsible for defeating the Hollow flew over their heads and landed a few yards behind Uryu, whose lips had slightly tugged upwards into a smirk.

"So, I finally found you," Ichigo turned his head to face the others. "Uryu."

Said boy was still smirking. "Kurosaki."

"Ichigo," Rukia said as both she and Kon turned to see the other two face each other.

Ichigo grinned, his sword being held down normally. As he and Uryu stared at one another, more and more dark openings appeared in the sky.

Meanwhile, Alex was carrying her body as she ran to find Ichigo. She had gotten a hold of his Spirit Ribbon and headed to where he was now. With her new speed, she hoped to get there before matters would worsen. But in her head, she was as excited as a giddy school girl. _I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I'M FINALLY A SOUL REAPER!_

* * *

_**Okay! That took me forever to finish for some reason. I would have updated this sooner, but I had to do something that took nearly half a day to do. I hadn't gotten any sleep either, so I rested for the entire afternoon. But enough about me and my complaining behind, how did you like the chapter? Was it good, bad, great, or awful? Tell me in a review!**_

_**See you next time!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: Still don't own Bleach! The amazing owner of it is Tite Kubo. I only own the characters that I have created.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Alex carried her soulless and limp body over her shoulder, running as quickly as she could to find where her friends were located. There were black portals appearing one by one in the vast sky. It seemed like the bait Uryu used wasn't the only thing that was drawing in the many hordes of Hollows. Putting that aside, the brown haired Soul Reaper focused more on finding Ichigo with the help of his Spirit Ribbon.

In less than ten minutes, Alex finally found Ichigo, Rukia, Kon, and Uryu. A sigh of relief left her lips as she ran toward them. The blue light from her locket glowed for a quick second, which made Alex smile. Apparently, it stayed around her neck even when being turned into a Soul Reaper. _Thank you, Ichigo. I owe you one!_

Meanwhile, Ichigo and Uryu faced off. Uryu had his Quincy bow out while Ichigo tightly held onto his Zanpakuto. "You better get ready, Uryu Ishida, 'cause I'm gonna beat the hell out of you. Do you know that?" Ichigo said, a few drops of sweat rolling down his forehead from all of that running around as he killed Hollows.

Uryu didn't respond. He only snarled as he shot an arrow in Ichigo's direction, for a Hollow had appeared behind him.

Ichigo saw this and stepped in between Uryu and the Hollow. "Oh no you don't!"

It was too late for Uryu to stop the arrow from firing. But it didn't matter, because Ichigo shattered it with his sword with ease before getting rid of the Hollow himself. He didn't have time for these monsters to interrupt. This needed to be settled and dealt with, now. Uryu was pretty surprised to see Ichigo like this, as well as Rukia and Kon. Alex decided to stay back for a bit. She surely didn't want to get in the midst of this.

Ichigo turned to face the still surprised Quincy. "To you, this is just a contest to see who can kill the most Hollows, but I'm not interesting in playing your game." He jutted a thumb toward himself. "Fight me! If you're so sure Quincies are superior to Soul Reapers, then why don't you prove it? Or are you too afraid?"

There was no response from Uryu. Only silence filled the tense atmosphere.

It seemed like Ichigo was pretty impatient about it. "What are you waiting for? Come on!"

"Ichigo, wait," Kon said.

"What do you want?" Ichigo snapped as he turned to Kon.

"Look up there."

Ichigo did so and saw that the reason why Uryu didn't answer was because he, Rukia, and Kon were staring up at the sky. There was this huge crack with a small opening in the center as the Hollows flew towards it. "What the hell?"

Alex stared in utter horror at the numerous Hollows in the sky. The black slit had changed over time while everyone was too occupied with the Hollows on the ground.

"The Hollows… They're gathering," Uryu said. He was just as much in shock as the rest of them. Seeing that he had to do something about this, Uryu ran and started climbing the set of stairs up ahead.

Ichigo stopped him. "Where are you going? There are too many of them!"

Uryu stopped in his tracks as he looked over his shoulder. "Now, who's afraid, Ichigo? If you don't have the guts, then just stay back here and watch. I already told you…I am the winner!" Uryu's bow came out of his bracelet as he fired multiple arrows at the Hollows in the sky. "Down here, you filthy Hollows!" Most of the Hollows brought their attention down to the voice. "I, Uryu Ishida, the last of the Quincies, will challenge you!"

"Is he really the last one?" Ichigo asked more to himself.

But Rukia heard him anyways and began explaining to him as to why that was true. "It was thought they all became extinct 200 years ago." Rukia's eyes stared at the ground as her arms were crossed. "Well, not exactly. They were systematically killed by the Soul Reapers." She remembered what Kisuke had told her back in his shop.

"_As you can imagine, it was a very difficult and painful decision for the Soul Reapers. But in the end, it became necessary to destroy the Quincies, because…it was the only way to prevent the destruction of this world," _Kisuke said to Rukia.

Rukia went on, "Soul Reapers were also referred to by other names back then. They were called balancers, or regulators."

Ichigo was still pretty struck from what he just heard but tried to learn more. "What did they balance?"

Alex moved closer to where they were in a stealth-like manner. _Actually, this was one of the few things that I missed because of those times that I was busy. _So, she listened carefully.

"The number of souls in the Soul Society and in the Human World does not change by much as time goes by. They just change places between the two worlds. It's the job of Soul Reapers to regulate that, to keep the balance. It worked… until the Quincies disrupted the equation." Rukia's eyes were still toward the ground. "The Quincies didn't cleanse the Hollows, they destroyed them completely. This meant that any Soul that left the Soul Society for the Human World would never return. If things had continued that way, the balance between the two worlds would have collapsed. It would have meant the apocalypse." Her eyes finally rose at the last part.

Ichigo couldn't believe that the continuation of the existence of the Quincies would have caused such a disaster. Alex, too, was in complete shock and was at a loss of words. She couldn't even think what she wanted to say in her head.

Once Rukia saw Ichigo's reaction, she began telling him of the efforts the Soul Society did to prevent such a cruel event to happen. "So there were many meetings between the Soul Reapers and the Quincies. But to no avail, the Quincies refuse to listen to reason. Finally, there was no choice. The order was given for the Quincies' annihilation. Many have accused the Soul Reapers of arrogance for their actions."

"Damn…" was all Ichigo could say. Now, he understood why Uryu had such a deep hatred for the Soul Reapers. It must be hard being the last of his kind.

Alex still didn't have anything to say on the entire thing. But she was finally able to allow words to come out, not really paying attention as to whether or not Ichigo, Rukia, or Kon heard her. "So, because of the Quincies abilities and their refusing to the Soul Reapers reasoning, they were led to their own demise…"

"Huh?" Ichigo turned to see a spaced out Soul Reaper carrying a brown haired girl over her shoulder. Right away, he noticed the school uniform and knew that it was one of his friends. "Alex!" He was going to run toward the Soul Reaper carrying her with his Zanpakuto ready in hand to attack if necessary. But then he noticed something else. The Soul Reaper had around her neck the same spade shaped locket Ichigo gave to Alex as her birthday present. "Why…are you wearing her necklace?" If only he had looked more closely at the other girl.

Rukia noticed the Soul Reaper as well. But she didn't go jumping to conclusions like Ichigo and actually examined the Soul Reaper even further. "Wait a minute…" She sensed that there was no spirit energy coming from Alex's limp body. All of it seemed to trace back to the Soul Reaper for some reason. And then it hit her. "Alex, is that you?" Rukia went wide-eyed in shock. "How in the world were you able to become a Soul Reaper?"

"Huh?" Ichigo was in even more shock as he stared comically at the Soul Reaper. _Come to think of it, she does look exactly like Alex… Wait… _"A-Alex? How the hell… When did you… Why are you a… Huh?"

Alex used her free hand to slap itself against her forehead. "Damn, I completely forget that you didn't know. I thought you would have at least recognized me, but it seems you're even dumber than a friggin' mouse!"

As expected, a huge vein throbbed over Ichigo's orange head. "What? How the hell was I supposed to know that your ass became a Soul Reaper?" He held up a clenched fist near Alex's face as they were yelling at each other. "And how long were you going to keep this from me and Rukia, huh? All those times I had to kill the Hollows by myself and you were probably lying on your lazy ass while I did all the damn work!"

"Oh, shut up, ya freaking pansy! Besides, I _just now _received my powers! So get your butt out of your ears and listen before you act, ya dunce!" Alex yelled back. She had to be careful not to drop her body.

"Who the hell are you calling a dunce? If you ask me, you're the jackass here!"

"Jackass? How dare you call me that, moron!"

And commence the name calling contest.

Ichigo gritted his teeth. "Airhead!"

"Dimwit!"

"Lamebrain!"

"Asshole!"

"Half-wit!"

"Knucklehead!"

"Blockhead!"

Rukia was about done with these two loudmouths. With each name being called out, the vein on her head throbbed more and more as its size grew as well. "Would the two of you numbskulls shut the hell up?" She socked both of the substitute Soul Reapers on the head, forcing them to fall limp onto the ground. Smoke flew up from their heads, for the amount of force Rukia used was great.

Kon watched as Ichigo and Alex were knocked out. His mouth was furiously twitching while there were dark lines over his eyes. "Remind me to never piss you off, Rukia."

Ichigo was the first to get up. He slowly pushed himself from the ground while rubbing his throbbing head. "You didn't have to knock us upside the head, Rukia."

Rukia shouted at him. "What else was I supposed to do? Even if I tried to shout over the both of you, I bet you would have still gone at it for who knows how long!"

"Well, excuse me if Mr. Tough Guy here started yelling at me for no damn reason." Alex finally got up, also rubbing her head from the new injury. "Anyway, I was going to tell you in a more professional manner, but I guess I forgot that I was out in the open and didn't realize you saw me."

Ichigo sighed in defeat. "Look, I'll admit that I did go a little-."

"A _little_?" Alex put in.

Ichigo tried not to bonk her on the head. "Overboard and could have dealt with it another way." His face changed to a more apologetic expression.  
"But you have to tell me how this happened, alright?"

Alex couldn't help but to smile as she nodded in agreement. "Later. But right now, we gotta get to Uryu before it's too late."

"Right."

Rukia smirked. She was glad to see that these idiots were now on the same page. "In the meantime, I'll watch over your body, Alex."

"Hey, wait! How about I take care of it-?" Kon said.

He was cut off with a punch to the face courtesy of Ichigo. "Don't even try it, Kon. I already know that you're gonna try doing weird things to her body. And you know damn well that you're using _my _body."

Alex glared at the hurt mod soul with a Chibi-like face. "Ya friggin' pervert. I bet he's planning on doing what he was going to do the first day he saw me."

"What?" A flashing sign appeared over Ichigo's head at this new piece of information. "You mean he tried to take advantage of you then? Why you little-!"

"Ichigo! There's no time to be worrying about this right now," Rukia cut him off. "You two have to hurry and find Uryu, now!"

The two Soul Reapers nodded their heads. "Right!" they said in unison before rushing off to where the Quincy fought off a huge wave of Hollows.

* * *

Uryu had shot yet another arrow at a Hollow, killing it on the spot. But it seems like that wasn't enough, for there were still countless Hollows surrounding him. "What the… They just keep on coming!" He had a flashback of his Sensei rubbing a young Uryu's heads with a proud smile. The young boy seemed so happy and cheerful as he was able to use his bow and arrow. But the flashback ended, and Uryu narrowed his eyes at the memory. "Sensei…"

"Uryu!" Ichigo's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He whipped his head to see that the Hollows on his right were being pushed away as Ichigo's huge Zanpakuto was swung around, making the Hollows fly up in the air. The other Hollows turned their heads as well at the action that was going on behind them. Uryu stared as the Soul Reaper's path was being cleared so easily. His eyebrow twitched in shock. _Ichigo Kurosaki, you are _completely_ insane._

Once Ichigo finished clearing the path, his stood on top of the huge pile of Hollows. He panted heavily as his sword was held vertically downwards. Alex soon caught up with her friend. She, too, was panting, but that was only because she was dodging some of the Hollows that flew towards her that didn't end up in the pile. Alex leaned on her knees as her head hung forward. It shot up when she needed to yell at him. "You could have warned me before you swung your sword like a friggin' maniac, Ichigo!"

He would have to apologize to her later. Right now, Ichigo had other things to take care of. He called down upon the Quincy from the mountain of Hollows. "Alright, Uryu. Now, I understand why you think Soul Reapers are your enemies! I don't know who was right and who was wrong, Soul Reapers _or _the Quincies. But it was so long ago that I don't see how it matters anymore!" He pointed an index finger at the Quincy. "But I know one thing for sure, Uryu! Your methods are complete-!"

"That's all ancient history!" Uryu interrupted. He pushed his glasses up with his free hand. "I don't care about some slaughter that happened 200 years ago. It was just some fact that was passed down to me from my Sensei. In fact, when I heard that story, I sided more with the Soul Reapers instead of with the Quincies. That is…until my Sensei was murdered."

Ichigo's eyes slightly widened at hearing this. He never knew about that.

Uryu prepared another arrow. "He was a kind, gentle man with no hatred in his heart!" He fired it at a Zebra-like Hollow. "To the very end, he tried to convince the Soul Reapers that Quinces were necessary. He kept encouraging them to work together, suggesting new ways to fight the Hollows. But the Soul Reapers always had the same answers to his efforts: 'Don't interfere with our work'!"

Alex and Ichigo only watched the anger and hate in Uryu rise with each arrow he shot.

"Then one day, five Hollows appeared and surrounded Sensei. It was obvious that he couldn't take them all on his own, and yet not _one_ Soul Reaper came to his aid!" Uryu shot down three more Hollows. "They knew about the Hollows. Sensei was under constant surveillance, and it was two hours after they had finally arrived!" He stopped and turned to face Ichigo and Alex. "If only they had listened to his advice; if only they had heeded his warning, then he wouldn't have been alone. Help would have reached him in time. And Sensei wouldn't have wound up dead!" One of his fists tightened as there was blood dripping from it. His voice sounded so strained with sadness and anger at the memory of his Sensei's death. Uryu watched it with his own eyes. It was so hard for him, especially when it happened at such a young age. "Now do you understand, Ichigo Kurosaki? That's the reason why this is so important! Why I have to prove to you and to _all _Soul Reapers the superior strength of the Quincy!"

After everything sunk in, Ichigo didn't say one word. He only continued to stare at the enraged Quincy. Alex hugged herself close, feeling so horrible about what happened to Uryu's Sensei. _If I only I had paid attention to his past back in my world…I would have been able to understand the pain he went through. _

Uryu turned around with his explanation of his reasoning being near to completion. "I understand that our methods are different; that our way of thinking are at opposite poles. So if you really believe my way is wrong, then stay back and watch. Watch and witness the power of a Quin-!"

"Shut up already!" Ichigo leaped from the pile of Hollows and landed a surprise kick to the back of Uryu's head. It sent him flying toward a few Hollows as they stepped back a little and watched as he landed before them.

Uryu shot up in quick recover, adjusting his glasses as he stood on one knee while facing Ichigo with a comical face. "What is your problem?"

"You messed up your own story!" Ichigo yelled at Uryu with his fists at his hips. Uryu sweat dropped at the sudden way he was acting.

Alex only watched as her idiot friend kicked the Quincy. Her mouth was twitching as her torso was slumped forward. "Sheesh. You couldn't have done that in a more delicate and less violent manner?"

"Shut up!" Ichigo said before looking back at Uryu. "Your Sensei wouldn't want you to prove the strength of the Quincies. You said it yourself! His greatest hope was for Quincies and Soul Reapers to work together! Isn't that right?" Ichigo took hold of Uryu's shirt and pulled him up as he stared with slightly widened eyes, for Uryu was surprised to see that he actually had a point. "Come on, think about it! When will you ever have a better chance to do that than right here, surrounded by enemies?"

"Huh…" Alex was also surprised at Ichigo's words. She saw that there were Hollows behind her as well, unsheathing her sword to prepare for battle.

Ichigo and Uryu now had their backs facing the other. "You say we're at opposite poles, but I say when two warriors are heavily outnumbered…the trick is to fight back to back!"

"Very well." Uryu accepted the strategy suggestion.

Soon, all three of them were cleansing and exterminating each and every Hollow that came their way. But as they did so, the crack in the sky seems as if it was trying to hold a great force back.

As Uryu shot a couple of Hollows, Ichigo complimented on his work. "Now that was nice."

"I didn't do it for you." Uryu stepped back near Ichigo again. "I only did it because they were about to attack me."

"So what? That's alright." Ichigo smirked. "It's kill or be killed. What's more important here is…together we can kill a lot more. Isn't that a good enough reason for us to join forces? After all, we both share the same single-minded purpose. We both have reasons to kill as many Hollows as we can."

"You know my reason, what's yours?" Uryu asked.

There was a short silence before Ichigo answered. "My mother was killed by a Hollow."

Uryu went wide-eyed. It seems like they did have a common purpose.

Ichigo went on. "I'm sure you'll agree that's enough of a reason all by itself. But there's still more to it than that. After all the agony I suffered, I wanna make sure others don't suffer the way I did. My father and sisters went through so much pain after Mom was killed… It was so hard for me to watch." His grip on his Zanpakuto tightened from remembering. Ichigo sliced two more Hollows down the center. "That's something…I don't ever wanna see again. That sadness in their faces."

Uryu looked over his shoulder at Ichigo. He remembered that his Sensei had said the same thing, wanting to prevent such sadness from occurring to the lives of humans or Soul Reapers.

"I'm not a super hero; I know that I can't protect everyone in the world." Ichigo stood up from sitting on one knee. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna be contempt protecting only the people I can hold in my arms either. I am going to protect as many people as I possibly can! Your method of using bait to deliberately draw Hollows just to prove a point is only dangering the lives of innocent people! I don't agree with that."

Alex took down her tenth Hollow before turning over to the fighting warriors. Hearing both of their reasons in person felt so…she couldn't even find the right words to describe it. _Ichigo…Uryu…for both of your sakes, I will do as much as I can to help you and everyone else. It's the least that I can do, especially since one of you helped me gain the power that I have now… _Alex reached up to touch her necklace. The locket glow with a feeling of warmth and comfort.

Ichigo continued with a few last words. "Right now is not the time for arguments. We've got to work together, you and me!" He faced Uryu with his scowl. "So what do you say?"

"What do I say?" Uryu brought his bow up. "I think you talk too much." There was a small metal ring that Uryu pulled back to form an arrow. "But I understand what you're saying. I have to help you survive this battle or you won't be around for me to kick your butt!"

Ichigo smirked at his answer. "Sounds like a plan!" He rushed toward the Hollows behind Uryu before swinging his Zanpakuto to slice and dice each one that came across his blade.

Alex watched the two with a small smile. "Glad to see that you two are getting along." A Hollow was about to jump on her. She whipped her head around and jabbed a knee in its gut. As the final blow, she delivered a slash with her Zanpakuto down the center of the Hollow's being.

Meanwhile, Ichigo and Uryu fought off their horde of Hollows. Uryu shot out multiple arrows and killed many Hollows all at once. Ichigo did his part by slashing and killing several of them. They stood back to back again while checking their progress. There were still too many of them, and they just kept on coming. As Uryu was looking around, his eyes met with the sky and saw something that made his eyes widen. "What the…? Ichigo, look at the sky!"

Ichigo's scowling yet tired face looked up, seeing a hole with cracks sprouting out from it in the blue sky. "What's that?"

"I…I don't know."

Alex killed one last Hollow before she too shot her head up at the crack high above them. Her green eyes widened in fear as there were two white hands with long, polka-dotted finger nails trying to break free on the other side. "What in the world…?"

* * *

_Oh no… Is that what I think it is_? Rukia froze as she stared at the creature coming out of the crack. It tore the crack open as if it were going through a theatre curtain. A large mask with a huge, pointy nose shot its beady red eyes down at the area it was about to enter. "It can't be…"

Kon carried Alex's body on his back while climbing up a set of stairs. He saw the monster up in the sky. "What is that huge thing? Tell me!"

"That's not your everyday, variety garden Hollow." Ichigo said as he and Uryu stopped fighting to look up at the Hollow in the sky.

Uryu didn't believe what he was seeing. "That little bit of bait I used can't possibly have drawn this!"

"Maybe not, but it's here."

The Hollows surrounding them started to close in on them, even the ones around Alex. "Here they come!" Ichigo and Uryu said in unison. All three of them prepared themselves but had no need to.

Bullets began to fly as they killed most of the Hollows. They were coming from a sort of machine gun weapon wrapped in bandages and bands. The one using it was a girl with two pigtails and floppy bangs. She wore a white T-shirt with a logo on it in pink print and a knee-length, pink skirt with white polka-dots. It was none other than Ururu, an employee at Urahara's Shop. "I'm sorry we're so late."

"Jinta slugs a triple!" A boy with red hair yells as he swings his huge black bat at a few Hollows. He too wore a T-shirt with the same logo but in red. His bottoms were blue, three-quarter length pants.

A huge man wearing a white muscle shirt, dark pants, and a blue apron, slammed his palm onto a Hollow's head. He forced it to the ground and caused its skull to crack completely.

Alex, Ichigo and Uryu all turned to the now gathered group. In the center was Kisuke Urahara waving his white fan. "I thought you might've needed some assistance, Ichigo!"

"Mr. Hat and Clogs!" Ichigo recognized him from the time he tried to retrieve Kon and when he was in the audience of Don Kanonji's show.

Jinta and Ururu started attacking the Hollows again. Ururu's huge gun cleared nearly the entire horde of Hollows, leaving nothing but dust as it rose and flew with the breeze. Ichigo and Uryu were amazed at the site. Alex was in awe as well. She sheathed her sword and decided to rest for a bit. Being a Soul Reaper was definitely tiring her out. Kisuke fanned himself as he stood before the three. "If you don't mind me making a suggestion, why don't my crew and I take care of these small fries for you, Ichigo," he pointed at the huge monster, "while you go concentrate on that big guy? Oh uh, you should probably get started before it's too late."

"Menos Grande." Rukia said.

"Menos what?" Kon asked. They were still in the same spot, staring up at the massive beast.

Seeing that he didn't know, "It's a huge Hollow born from hundreds and hundreds of Hollows, mixed and folded and crushed together. Until now, I've only seen it in illustration in textbooks!" Rukia's eyes were glued to the catastrophic being. "I don't know what we can do. Only one group can handle this thing: the Royal, Special Task Force. Menos Grande is way too much for any single Soul Reaper."

The Menos Grande turned its head to where Ichigo and Uryu stood watching it. Alex felt as if she couldn't move a single muscle. She was so terrified of it as it stared at them from such a great height. It felt as though it was trying to warn them all about their fate, which was to be their death by its own power and strength. "That thing is even bigger than I imagined it to be…" Fear had made her voice sound so feeble and meek. Even though she knew what was to happen, it seemed like all of her memory was replaced with the fear of dying right here and now. But Alex had to get herself together and have faith in Ichigo and Uryu. She swallowed down the dread feeling and stood on her feet. She must have not noticed that she had fallen to her knees once the Menos Grande stared down upon them.

"That thing is too big for any of our weapons." Uryu stated.

"Just because it's overfed doesn't change anything. We're just gonna have to chop a little more." Ichigo said with a grin.

Uryu was slightly confused at the option. "Chop?"

"Yep. And the bigger they are, the harder they fall." Ichigo raised his Zanpakuto high. The blade shined from the sunlight. "Come on! Together we'll take that ugly sucker down! Let's go, Uryu!" Before could Uryu could object, Ichigo ran head-on toward the Menos.

A flash popped over Uryu's head as he ran after him. "Ichigo, don't be crazy!"

Alex's eyebrow twitched as she sighed. "That's kind of hard for him to do since that's his specialty." She too hurried after the two of them just to simply watch. Now, as it was said before, Alex knows what is to happen but had forgotten about it because of the overwhelming panic the Menos had gave her before. So anything could happen without her knowing it.

"Ichigo!" Rukia and Kon had finally made it. They were just in time to see Ichigo run off to fight the Menos Grande. "Ichigo, stop! You three aren't enough against Menos Grande!"

Kisuke appeared with a smirk on his face and his hands crossed inside the sleeves of his robe.

"Urahara, are you trying to get Ichigo killed out there?"

His hands moved in front of Rukia's face as he casted something onto her. "Of course not. Just watch. There is a method to my madness. This is a battle that must be fought."

Rukia was forced to go down on both knees. "This is…a binding spell!" Her voice sounded strained as she could barely speak.

"It is for Ichigo, and for you, too, Rukia."

Ichigo charged forward with both hands on his Zanpakuto as he shouted a battle cry. Once close enough, he leaped into the air and swung his sword down onto the Menos Grande's foot. But to his misfortune, the blade only sunk into the white foot with no damage being inflicted on it. As he was shocked to see that his plan didn't work, the Menos' foot kept moving and sent Ichigo tumbling back to where Uryu and Alex stood.

"I told you it wouldn't work!" Uryu shouted as he readied his bow and shot an arrow, aiming it at the Menos' head. Sadly, the only damage that was inflicted upon it was a small scratch from the bounced off attack. "Dammit!"

Alex placed a hand on her hip while staring at the Menos. "Well, seeing that neither of your attacks worked, I'm just gonna save myself the trouble and not attempt anything."

Uryu whipped his head at Alex before going in near shock. "Hold on a second! How are you a-?"

"I think we should talk about that some other time, like when we're all still alive after beating this thing." Alex wasn't exactly ready to explain about what happened.

"Right. Hey, Ichigo," he looked down at the fallen boy, "so, can you get up?"

A tired groan came out from the said boy as he lifted himself up. "Sure, I'm good as new." Ichigo brought a hand up to his head to salute to them as blood began rolling down his forehead in a comical fashion.

Alex slapped a hand over her face at his stupidity. "What I wouldn't give for you to actually think before you act…"

Uryu agreed. "That was the dumbest charge I think I've ever seen! What were you thinking? Did you actually think that would work?"

"Well," Ichigo started to explain his plan, "I figure if I just kept chopping away at him like some giant tree, I would eventually bring him down to the point where I could whack him on the head."

"I can't believe that you're acting like this is some kind of little kid's game. Now, get up and let's try a different strategy." Uryu went down on a knee and took hold of Ichigo's blade. The second he did so, his bow started to go out of control with overwhelming energy. It was so sudden that it gave Uryu a slight pain to his arm. _Wh…What is this? There's power flowing into me from his sword. This must be Ichigo's power!_

Ichigo was too busy looking the other way, thinking of another strategy to use. "What'll I try next?"

"Ichigo, look." Uryu brought his attention over to his over-sized bow.

As his reaction, he of course backed up a little while a sweat drop appeared on the back of his head. "What did you do, Uryu? How did your bow get so big?"

"Just be quiet and listen. I think there actually might be a way to defeat this thing! Are you ready to do it?"

While Uryu stayed normal, Ichigo was still confused and freaked out from the huge bow.

Alex had brought her eyes down at the two of them. _I hope these two know what they're doing…_

* * *

"Now, we are ready to fight this thing!" Uryu yelled as his bow and arrow was aimed at the Menos Grande.

Alex comically stared wide-eyed while she gaped at how ridiculous those two looked. "You gotta be kidding me…"

Ichigo's Zanpakuto was tied onto Uryu's head by a piece of white cloth as Ichigo held onto the hilt. This helped the growth of Uryu's bow. But to be honest, Ichigo also found this pretty silly. "You're not serious. This won't work." He let go of the handle, forcing the bow to reduce it back to its original size.

A large vein throbbed over Uryu as he yelled at Ichigo. "Quiet! Just do what I say! You've gotta release all of your spirit energy at once while we're connected! That way, I should be able to harness the power and shoot an enormous arrow. It's the best way you can use all of your energy. Right now, you're just wasting it!"

"Well, you don't have to be so insulting about it," Ichigo said with a blank sort of face.

Uryu groaned impatiently. "Quit taking things so personally and just release that energy already!"

Ichigo had a dumb and distant look on his face. "How do I do that?"

Alex hanged her head with a sweat drop. _Ichigo, you are such a dumbass._

"You mean to tell me you don't know?" Uryu went up to Ichigo. "What's been your method for battling the Hollows all this time?"

"Just instinct."

Uryu couldn't believe this guy. His eyebrow twitched in confusion. "Just instinct? But that's impossible."

"I never did really understand that stuff. I figured that my spirit energy was pretty much always at its maximum level." Ichigo had his arm crossed near his stomach as he stared back at Uryu.

"Are you serious? You mean you don't ever put any restrictions on your energy?" Alex asked while regaining her composure.

Ichigo looked over at her with a surprised look. "Alex? How long have you been standing there?"

Alex nearly fell over. "You friggin' ninny! You mean to tell me that not once have you noticed or sensed that someone other than Uryu was by your side?"

"Well…I did see you fighting off the Hollows with me and Uryu back there, but I didn't think that you had followed us here."

Uryu's eyebrow twitched again. _He really is an idiot. Even I noticed her._

The sound of something cracking brought all of three of them to stare wide eyed at the giant Hollow. It still looked down upon them as a red orb started to grow in size as there were purple and black-like particles moving around it as if it were an atom. Rukia saw this with horror filled in her violet eyes. "Oh no, a Cero? Does he intend to release a doom blast right here?" She looked back down at the three ahead of her. She called out to them in warning. "You've got to run, all of you! If you're hit by that there'll be nothing left of you!"

Ichigo silently gulped as his brown eyes were also filled with slight fear. Alex had that same, overwhelming fear takeover her body again. She could barely move and couldn't let a single sound escape her lips, for her throat was clogged up with panic and fright.

"This will work. I'm sure of it!" Uryu, unaffected was determined to beat this thing, no matter what. He turned to the orange haired Soul Reaper. "Ichigo, grab that sword and let's do it." Said boy did so, but he took the sword off of Uryu's head and ran toward the Menos. "I meant let's do it _together_!"

But Ichigo had already made it. However, it was too late for him. The red orb of power momentarily disappeared out of sight. A second later, the Menos' mouth snapped open and released a powerful, red beam toward Ichigo. The Substitute Soul Reaper hadn't moved a single inch. Before he would get hit, Ichigo blocked the Cero with his massive sword. He was nearly brought down to his knees. Luckily, the blast didn't go past his Zanpakuto, keeping him alive. It stayed above him with the help of one of his wrists pushing against the back of his blade.

Alex and Uryu would have been blown away had the force of the blast been any stronger. They were able to somewhat see what was happening before them. Alex blocked most of the bright light with her arm as she was crouched down on one knee. Her shoulder length hair blew behind her, just as it did to everyone else's hair and clothing that saw this near them.

Uryu watched as Ichigo seemed to be moving. "What's he doing?" _I'm feeling extraordinary spiritual pressure. Ichigo's power is actually increasing! _Ichigo was slowly rising up from the ground with each passing second. Uryu remembered what he said to him about his energy.

"_I figured that my spirit energy was pretty much always at its maximum level."_

_But there's no way that can be! If someone's spirit energy was always at maximum, it would all drain away no matter how much he had. Ichigo says he can't control his spirit energy at all. He must have an incredible amount to let it pour out the way he does and still have more! _By now, Ichigo was struggling to keep the Cero from blasting everyone away. _It's like a faucet that's been left turned on with the water gushing out. Most people will quickly turn it off. But if Ichigo were to do that… If his energy stayed bottled up, then soon the energy would begin to skyrocket, just like it is now. And then, if by some incident that pressure were to be released…_

At that moment, Ichigo was finally able to push back the huge Cero and fire his own attack at the Menos Grande. A blue slash of power crawled up on the side of the Menos as it reached all the way up to its head. The amount of force from Ichigo's attack once again release massive wind as the side effect. It blew dust everywhere, making it wildly fly around everyone.

Ichigo stood in victory as the rest of them stared up at the Menos. Rukia was the first to speak. "He cut it open…"

The enormous Hollow had smoke coming from its mouth and left side from the blow. It used its good arm to pull on the tear in the sky as it moved .back to escape. "The Menos…is retreating!" Uryu said/

Alex was in complete and utter awe as she witnessed the scene happening before them. She was still kneeling on the ground from the massive forces that dared to push her back. "That was…incredible. Ichigo really is one powerful guy."

Ichigo was heavily panting with an open smile. He then held up a peace sign, or better yet a sign of victory. "I WIN!"

"What in the world is he?" Uryu said more to himself.

Kisuke's crew had finished dealing with the lesser Hollows as they too witnessed the incredible battle. "Well done. Now I understand why the boss has been keeping an eye on this one." The big man said.

The cracks in the sky soon vanished as the opening closed up. "Well, what's the matter, Uryu? You don't have anything to say?" Ichigo and said boy were now facing one another. "I just saved your butt and cleaned up your mess, too! It seems like…you could at least say 'thank you' or 'congratulations' or something." Ichigo started to sway back and forth before he finally fell forward. "That's weird. I can't move."

Alex wasn't able to understand what was going on either. It seems that she really didn't have any memory of anything else that happened in the anime.

"_Don't worry!" _A little girl's voice said in her head. _"It will occasionally happen and last for a short period of time. You'll be able to remember everything again soon enough. So just stay calm, alright?"_

_Bobo? Is that you? Wait, how the hell did you get in my head? _Alex asked the star-child.

"_Since I was the one that granted your wish, I'm able to use telepathy with you! I wasn't able to do so before. But now that you trust me, it's possible."_

_I…didn't trust you from before? _

"_That was only because you were still getting the feel of this new world. But right now," _Bobo giggled, _"you should probably prepare yourself!"_

_For what?_

As if answering the girl's question, the blade of Ichigo's sword soon became distorted and was shaping itself in a strange way. An orange light filled the sky as Ichigo's energy went berserk. "Wh…What's happening?" Just what in the world was going on with his sword?

Uryu hid his eyes behind his arm. "His Zanpakuto: it's breaking down!"

Rukia explained further. "Ichigo released all of his spirit energy at one time! It looks like it has put way too much strain on his body!" Even she had difficulty seeing.

Alex covered most of her eyes from the bright light with her arms. "What's going to happen to Ichigo now?"

"I've gotta do something, before it's too late!" Uryu struggled to get over to Ichigo but was able to make it. He placed one foot onto the distorted blade, allowing the wild spirit energy to flow into his bow. The size of it had also increased to a dangerous level. His right arm soon received cuts from the force. "I must…endure the pain." Soon, Uryu starting to shoot massive arrows into the sky. _I think I can save him. If I can release Ichigo's out of control spirit energy bit by bit by firing arrows until his energy level stabilizes…_

Ichigo turned his head to look up at Uryu. "What…do you..think you're doing?"

"Shut. Up!"

"But Uryu, your arm is getting torn apart!"

"I said shut up!" He continued to repeatedly fire his arrows. "How many times do I have to tell you? I have to make sure you survive so I can have someone to pummel in the future! Stay alive, Soul Reaper, so I can beat the hell out of you! And so you can do the same to me, Ichigo!" _Damn it! My need to prove myself against Soul Reapers is responsible for all this! Forgive me, Sensei. I've always blamed Soul Reapers for your death just so I could avoid blaming myself, because I wasn't willing to risk my life to save you. But I know you never hated Soul Reapers. Your sincerest wish was for Quincies and Soul Reapers to join together. So today I'm going to save a Soul Reaper's life. _The hand Uryu's used to shoot each arrow bled with the numerous cuts on his fingers. He was finally able to stop the out of control power from getting any worse. Ichigo's Zanpakuto returned to its normal state. As Uryu fell to his knees, he looked up at the now bright, blue sky. _I'm a weak disciple, Sensei, a weak apprentice that was unable to give up his life for you. _Uryu's bow had also went back to normal before getting smaller and smaller until returning back to his cross. _Can you ever forgive… _"Grand..father?"

Ichigo sighed with a scowl on his face, turning onto his back. "How am I supposed to beat up _that _guy? He's just so pathetic."

Alex smiled down at Ichigo. "He may seem pathetic, but he saved you, Ichigo…"

Ichigo looked behind him and saw Alex on both of her knees. "Hey, are you alright? And why are you on your knees?"

She closed her eyes while letting out a heavy sigh. "I don't know. Why are you on your back?"

He was going to answer but decided to let it slide as he looked back up at the sky, glad to know that everyone was alright. But for some reason, he felt especially glad that Alex was still alive...

* * *

_**Review if you can and want to.**_

_**Bye-bye!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: Still not the owner of Tite Kubo's Bleach! But, I will say that I own my own characters.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"So let me get this straight... You want to teach me how to use Kido?" Alex pointed confusedly at herself as she sat on her large bed.

Rukia nodded with arms crossed over her Karakura uniform as it covered her petite form. "Is there something wrong with that?" She, too, was sitting on Alex's bed.

It has only been one hour since the Menos Grande incident. Rukia had asked Alex if she was able to come over her home for a little bit. But, of course, Ichigo isn't aware of Rukia's whereabouts at the moment.

The brunette scratched the back of her head while one of her eyes were closed shut. "Well, yeah. What makes you think I have what it takes to actually perform a Kido spell? I'm not a real Soul Reaper. I'm just a Substitute like Ichigo, and he can't use Kido either."

"Most of what you just stated is true. But what you didn't notice what happened after the Menos attacked. When you returned to your body, you immediately felt the pain from your wounds before becoming a Soul Reaper. As we were all headed back home, you held onto your shoulder and was somehow able to rid your body of the pain using Kido. You and Ichigo may not have noticed it, but I had."

"Whoa! You're telling me that it was _me _that used Kido on my body?" Alex jutted a finger at the raven haired girl with a comical expression. "I thought you were the one healing me without me knowing it!"

Rukia stared at the teenager with the same form of expression. "I may be good, but I'm not _that _good. Besides, I still haven't recovered most of my powers yet. And from the looks of it, you are most likely capable of using certain Kido spells, possible even ones in the thirties. Any other spell above that might be too much for you."

Alex heaved a tiring sigh as she let her head hang forward. Some of her brown hair fell in front of her face. "Okay, if that's the case, then why even mention this to me in the first place? Besides, I'm still trying to get the hang of being a Soul Reaper."

"I realize that. But," Rukia's mood then changed into a more...cheerful one. "Lucky for you, I'll be training you on how to use your Zanpakuto and Kido!"

"...Oh yeah, I saw this coming." Alex deadpanned as she stared wide-eyed at the rabbit loving Soul Reaper. _I'll probably last about five or ten minutes with her..._

* * *

"Alright, Alex, are you ready to train?" Rukia shouted enthusiastically before blowing a rabbit whistle. She was all dressed up and everything. There was a white visor on her head, also having a Chappy the Rabbit design on it. The rest of her body had on a white T-shirt with a red and white jacket over it. Her bottoms were matching shorts, and her footwear was regular sneakers.

While Rukia went all out, Alex simply wore normal black converse, a green T-shirt with 'Live a Little' in a groovy sort of font, and white cargo shorts. Her shoulder length hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Green eyes stared at the over-excited Soul Reaper as she stood from the top of a medium-sized hill. "Rukia, you really didn't have to go overboard with this training you know. And the what the hell is up with the rabbit shaped whistle?"

Rukia hopped down from the summit of the hill and landed near Alex. "Because Chappy the Rabbit looks great on any clothing and/or equipment. An now," she reached inside one of her pockets to pull out the fingerless glove with the flaming skull, "time for you to suit up."

"Wait, what?" Alex blinked in confusion.

But before any other questions were asked or answered, Rukia slammed her palm into the brunette's forehead, forcing Alex's soul out of her body. The body then went limp as it fell face first to the grass covered earth. Alex was still being held by Rukia as she was now a Substitute Soul Reaper.

Rukia had pushed Alex a bit too far once she released her grip on her forehead. The force had caused Alex to tumble and roll backwards before slamming her back into a tree, making some of its leaves slowly descend around or on Alex. The dark haired girl blinked with slightly widened eyes as she looked over her work. "Oops...I guess I might have pushed her too hard..." Rukia quietly said to herself. "Hey, Alex, are you alright?"

Groaning could be heard from the Substitute Soul Reaper as she rubbed the back of her noggin. "Maybe if you hadn't have made me do somersaults into this tree, I wouldn't be having a massive headache!" She got up from the ground and brushed off any dust or dirt. Her attire was the same as the last time she had fought in it: shortened hakama pants with the sleeves of the robe reaching her wrists. The obi sash was still tied by behind back as it held her Zanpakuto's light purple scabbard in a horizontal position. The shape of the tsuba was of a rhombus with what seemed to be snake-like lines on the top and bottom. On the left and right were small spades. The edges of the quadrilateral were smooth and rounded.

"Well, excuse me for not holding my strength for you. I'm used to doing that to Ichigo, and it's pretty hard to get his butt out of his body. But aside from that, let's continue and begin with our training. First up: Zanjutsu, a.k.a. the Art of the Sword!" Rukia started walking toward Alex as they prepared to start the brunette's first lesson.

* * *

Ichigo sighed tiredly as he scratched the back of his head. "Where the hell could those two idiots be?" He has been searching for Rukia and Alex for the past two hours. So far, he hasn't had any luck finding either one of the girls. He asked Kon for a possible idea as to where Rukia went. The Mod Soul for once cooperated and said that she went over to Alex's place. Ichigo headed over there but only ended up with nothing once again. Rosa, the maid, told him that there were out training for a marathon.

_Marathon. my ass! _Ichigo had his hands stuffed in his jean's pockets as he walked down a few sidewalks. "This is freaking useless. Can't they just shoot up some kind of sign into the sky to show me where they are?"

Not too far from where Ichigo was, an explosion was seen and heard right after his request. It came from the same park that he and Uryu fought the Menos Grande. "What the hell?" Ichigo soon ran toward the source of the loud noise as there was now smoke rising up from it.

"You were suppose to fire the energy!" Rukia scolded at Alex with a Chibi-like face. They were now practicing Kido spells, and it seemed like it wasn't going so well at the moment. "Why the hell didn't you listen to me the first time?"

Alex was too busy coughing up smoke from the aftermath of the misused Kido spell. Her face and hair was covered in a dark grayish dust. The ends of her hair stuck out in jagged spikes. She looked over at the yelling coach with dinner plate-sized eyes as her pupils shrunk. "Well, you don't have to be so harsh about it. It's my first time doing this stuff. Cut me some slack, will ya?"

"Cut you some slack? Do you have any idea how reckless and dangerous it would be if I allowed you to loosen up while using Kido? It takes plenty of concentration and training to perfect your abilities! Now, get up and try it again. And this time, _without _saying the incantation." Rukia huffed out as she jabbed a finger over to a more stable spot.

"Sheesh, you don't have to be so bossy about it..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing." Alex got up and went over to the spot. She stood in place while holding both of her hands up. One of them had its palm flat out while the other held on to its wrist. Alex took a deep breath as she closed her eyes to concentrate. After a few moments of silence, "Hado No. 31: Shakkaho!" A medium-sized orb of red energy formed in her hand as she aimed toward the ground at a far distance away from her and Rukia and released it. Once it made impact with the ground, an explosion was heard from it. The result was a blast shaped outline made into the earth as the Kido burned away the grass and even most of the dirt.

Rukia blinked in slight amazement. "Wow, not bad, Alex." Her hands were at her hips as she stared at Alex's work. "You're getting better. But we still need some work on it. The size of the orb was a bit distorted, and your aim was a bit shaky as well. Don't lose focus when firing any Kido spell, understand?"

Alex nodded in response. She used her sleeve to wipe away the beads of sweat on her forehead and any leftover dust from the last explosion.

"So _this _is what you've been doing all this time!"

Alex and Rukia whipped their heads around at the sound of the new voice, ready to fight back if needed. The brunette was the first to loosen up as she remembered the owner of that particular voice. "Ichigo? What the heck are you sneaking up on us for, ya ninny?"

A vein throbbed over his orange head as Ichigo came out from the trees. He wore a purple shirt with 'NICE VIBE' on the front with a star on the bottom right of the stacked words. "Will you stop calling me a damn ninny before I kick your ass? And I wasn't sneaking up on the two of you. I was trying to find out just where you guys went. It took me nearly two hours." Ichigo stopped a few feet away from the two girls. "If it weren't for that little explosion, I would have just gone home and slept the rest of the day away." He looked over to the still smoking spot with raised eyebrows. A whistling sound escaped his lips. "Some mess you made, Alex."

"Shut up before I blast you away with my Kido." Alex deadpanned with a comical face.

Ichigo faced her with the same look. "With your what?"

Rukia sighed as she closed her eyes. "Kido is one of the many forms of combat that Soul Reapers use. But, only ones with controlled spirit energy may use this. Also meaning that you aren't able to perform barely any spells with your spirit energy levels, Ichigo."

"Hah!" Alex said as she pointed at the jaw dropping boy.

"Are you kidding me? Then how come she's able to use it?" Ichigo jutted a finger out at smiling Alex.

Rukia was the only one that stayed the same. "It's just as I said. Alex is one of the Soul Reapers with a more controlled spirit energy."

"That's ridiculous!"

Alex sniggered. "No, it's not. Besides, I bet you would have blown yourself up if _you _used any Kido spell." She crossed her arms as she felt superior to the ticked off Ichigo.

"Would you shut up already!"

"You first!"

Before either one was to start arguing toward one another, Rukia knocked both Substitute Soul Reapers upside the head. Their bodies were laid down on the grass as smoke emitted from their heads. "How about the both of you shut your yaps while Alex continues with her training?"

"Yes ma'am." Both said in unison.

"Good. Alex, I want you to perform the next Hado spell that I demonstrated to you before."

Alex pushed herself off the ground. She stopped in mid-step, thinking before doing anything that would cost her a limb or two. "Wait, with or without the incantation?"

Rukia had to think about it for a moment as well. "...Let's go ahead and try it with it."

"Got it." Alex closed her eyes, took a deep breath, concentrated, and recited the spell's incantation. "Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!" She held out both of her hands while aiming them at the hill Rukia once stood on. "Hado No. 33: Sokatsui!" A burst of blue energy was shot out of Alex's hands as it was directed straight toward her target. The impact of the blast nearly obliterated all of it as there were close to no remains after the smoke cleared up.

Ichigo and Alex were coughing and fanning the smoke away from them as Rukia simply stood there in astonishment. _Alex is improving at such a quick rate. She might even be capable of performing the advanced version of Sokatsui. _"I have to say, Alex, I'm quite impressed with your progress. But even so, you still have a long way to go if you want to fully perfect it, so don't start to get full of yourself."

"Like she can actually stop _that _from happening." Ichigo stated.

Alex shot a punch square in Ichigo's gut, forcing him to lean forward while holding onto his stomach. "Sorry, I didn't hear you. Would you like to repeat just exactly what you just said?"

"Never mind." Ichigo obviously sounded as if he were in pain.

"Then I'm glad we're on the same page." Alex smirked as her eyes glared down at him.

Rukia would have smiled at the two, but she just couldn't do it. What had happened today was bound to reach the Soul Society. There's no telling how long it would be until they would come looking for her. That was why Rukia had to give some kind of training of Kido and Swordsmanship to Alex the same day. _Even though I rushed her into it, Alex seems like she's doing just fine for her first day as a Soul Reaper. Her skills still need some refining, but at least she will be able to fight off a Hollow with enough ease. _Rukia's violet eyes found their way up to the orange sky of the evening. "It's getting late. We should all head on home and get some rest for tomorrow."

Alex looked over at the petite girl. "I guess." She went over to her limp body and entered back inside of it. _I don't know what it is, but something doesn't feel right... Hm, must be my imagination. Hopefully tomorrow will be a good day. _

"Come on, Ichigo." Rukia said while heading in the direction of the Kurosaki Clinic.

Said boy was finally able to stand up straight again. "Yeah, right behind ya." Although, he still sounds a little bit in pain. "I need the sleep anyways."

"Quit your damn whining and man up!" Alex jumped off the ground before twirling and landing a hard kick on Ichigo's head. The force of her foot caused him to go flying straight into another tree nearby. His head had gotten stuck in between a few thick branches.

"What the hell was the purpose of kicking me, you friggin' psychopath!" Ichigo struggled as he tried pulling his neck from the tree branches. Seeing that his first couple of attempts were futile, he simply punched each piece of wood to free himself. Once released, he whipped a comically, angry head at the now laughing Alex. Rukia covered her mouth as she let out a few sniggers every now and then. "That wasn't funny!"

Rukia disagreed. "Oh, yes it was."

Ichigo gritted his teeth at the cracking up brunette as he clenched his fists.

"You should have seen the look on your face!" Alex laughed out. She held onto her hurting sides. Tears of pure laughter flowed out of her eyes.

"Really?" Ichigo said in a more evil-like tone. "Then maybe you should demonstrate on how my face looked like, Alex." He slowly marched toward her with a twitching eye.

Alex was able to somewhat calm down just in time to see that Ichigo was coming towards her. And from the look in his eyes, the results were not going to be pretty. "Uh...how about I show you tomorrow?" She starting to feel a little nervous as she stood up and carefully backed away. "Later, Rukia. Later, Ichigo."

"You're not going anywhere, at least not until you show me what made you laugh so hard." He was _really _starting to make Alex feel tense and scared.

Alex silently gulped as beads of sweat rapidly dripped down the back of her head. "Um, how about some other time?" The burning fire in Ichigo's eyes made her feel more nervous by the second. "Right now, I have to head on home and rest for school tomorrow." Her foot steps quickened.

"Oh, no, you're showing me right now!" Ichigo charged toward Alex at full speed.

Alex yelped before dashing off in the direction of her own home. Ichigo continued chasing Alex for a long time. Who knows how long it would be until they were to finally become tired and decide to give it a rest.

Back in the park, Rukia watched as the two Substitute Soul Reapers ran after the other. "The two of you should be just fine without me here..." Rukia's hands tightened their grip on her arms while she hugged herself. Soon, she too hurried after Ichigo and Alex as the sun continued to set on the horizon before allowing the moon and stars to come out once it is gone.

* * *

"So, how was your day today?" Botania asked. The star-child hung upside on with her sandy pigtails swinging around. She watched the deadbeat teenager plopped down onto her soft bed. "Do you have your memories back yet?"

Alex sighed heavily. "No, not yet. But I'm sure that they'll come back soon. Right now, I just want to lie down and sleep."

"Hold on, don't you have to sing the lullaby so you won't have any nightmares?"

"...Crap. Alright, fine. I might as well take a quick shower afterward, too."

Alex sang the lullaby, took her shower, and went straight to bed. _I just hope Ichigo doesn't try to kill me tomorrow. Which reminds me...isn't there something big or important that's going to happen? I'm starting to remember a little bit, but all I can make out is that Kon is gonna get tired of being treated terribly. Was there something else?... Oh well. _

* * *

_**Okay! So I'm going to stop it here for now. I know it's pretty short, but I promise that I'll make it up to everyone tomorrow. **_

_**Bye-bye!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Bye everyone! I'll see you later!" Alex waved to her family and maid as she left for Karakura High. It was a bit early for her to leave, but Alex just felt that she had to take a little morning stroll before heading to school.

Flashbacks from the previous afternoon popped up in Alex's head. One of them was of Ichigo defeating the Menos Grande. Another was when his Zanpakuto went berserk. A saddened smile made its way on her face. "I'm just glad that everyone is okay. But I do wonder if Uryu will be alright..."

"Good morning, Alex!"

"Hm?" Said girl stopped and turned around to see a bubbly high school student wearing the same summer uniform wave her hand high in the air. "Oh! Good morning, Orihime!" She waited for Orihime to catch with her so that they may walk and talk together. "So, what brings you out here so early today?"

"Well, actually, I wanted to tell you about a dream that you were in first. Is that okay with you?"

Alex smiled with closed eyes. "Of course!"

Orihime nodded. "Okay, so in the dream, you were a daredevil that loved eating vanilla ice cream mixed with honey mustard, which is one of my favorite desserts, too. And there was this contest that involved jumping over barrels filled with bananas and meatballs to reach the top of a snowy mountain. The winner was to win a medal made of chocolate and a year supply of Wasabi and Ramen topped with strawberries! As expected, you won the contest, and you shared the prize with me!"

"...Uh-huh." The only thing Alex did was look at the weird cook with a confused and blank expression. "Well, if all of that were true, than I'd be glad to have split the prize with you. But unfortunately, I'm not a vanilla ice cream and honey mustard loving daredevil."

"Aw phooey! But if you were, that would be so cool!" The long-haired ginger shot her hands in the air while holding on to her bag. As she looked back down, she spotted a small girl with raven colored hair. "Oh!" Orihime pointed ahead of her. Alex saw what she was indicating at and smiled. They both hurried over to greet their friend. "Hi, Rukia!"

"Morning, Rukia!"

The petite girl turned and recognized who was calling out to her. "Oh, hey there Orihime, Alex."

"How are you?" Orihime asked.

"I'm fine."

"Can we walk with you?" Alex asked.

"Of course you can." Rukia nodded as she resumed walking. Orihime and Alex followed after. "I didn't know the both of you were early risers like me. Do you always come to school this early?"

Before Alex would answer, Orihime did so but in a more silly way. "No, I'm usually late! But with summer almost here, I'm so excited that I can't sleep. And every morning, I pop out of bed all sparkly!" Orihime twirled once before standing on one foot as the other rose up. Her arms stretched out as flowers and rainbow-colored sparkles shined over her being. "Yay!"

"Right." Rukia only smiled and replied in a polite tone.

"Wow Orihime, you sure do have a lot going on." Alex said.

Orihime nodded with a bubbly smile. "Mhm! Summer's just the best season! What are you two going to do for your vacations?"

Alex didn't think that she had anything to do for summer. Actually, she usually never did much for summer vacations back home in her world. "I'm not exactly sure what my folks have planned. But until then, I don't really know."

Rukia wasn't sure either. "Uh...Oh, I have no idea!"

"Well, there's a fireworks festival in August, and Tatsuki and a bunch of us are going! You should come along with us, Rukia. And since it's your first year in Japan, it would be a blast for you, too, Alex! We go every year, and it's always really fun. Whadda ya say?" Orihime leaned forward with her bag being carried behind her back.

"A fireworks festival?" Rukia asked.

Alex's eyes lit up at 'fireworks'. "Will there be plenty of them out that night?"

"Mhm. We should probably ask Ichigo to come along with us. It'll be just like the time we all went to see Don Kanonji together!" Orihime started walking backwards. "Now that was fun!"

"Oh yeah! That certainly was interesting wasn't it?" Rukia laughed.

"Especially when Ichigo had gotten dog piled by all of those security guards." Alex giggled.

Orihime let out a laugh as well. "I remember that, too! At first, I was a little worried about him. But then after thinking about, it was pretty funny. But of course, Ichigo came along that time because of his family. He can be so thoughtful sometimes." She turned back around as they continued walking. "And his family is so fun! Sometimes, I wonder how he's related to them, because he's so serious all the time. If I didn't know better, I'd say Ichigo almost has a permanent frown on his face." Orihime made a playful frowning face as she pointed at it.

"Yes, I know what you mean." Rukia said. "Funny though, I always thought you didn't like Ichigo very much, Orihime."

"Well, let's just say when you take a good look at him, he has a really interesting face." Orihime said.

Rukia giggled with her hand over her mouth.

Alex would have giggled as well, but what Orihime said actually got her thinking. A memory of when she was trying on the black and white dress came to mind. She remembered Ichigo's reaction and laughed quietly to herself. Those were one of the few times that Alex didn't see a scowl on his face. It was also the first time she had ever seen him blush. Orihime had brought Alex out of her thoughts.

"You two should really think about coming to the festival. I promise that you'll have a great time!"

The brunette thought about it for a moment. "Hmm...we'll see."

"I'll also think about." Rukia said as she stared at the ground.

* * *

Later that day, the students of 1-3 were outside on the field in their gym uniforms playing a type of baseball game. Orihime was up next as. "I'm ready to go, Tatsuki! Gimme your best fastball!" All of her friends were cheering for her in such a playful way. Alex joined them, for there were times when she just had to join the crowd.

Kon hid himself high up in a tree as he watched with a star in his eye. _I found you, my goddess, Orihime. Things didn't work out the last time we met, but this time it will different! All I have to do is lie there helpless right in her path. And when she sees me, she'll have no choice but to pick me up! And my life will be complete as she cuddles and holds me tenderly in the valley of soft pillows! Yes! _Kon jabbed a claw forward as he went over his plan. It was bulletproof! _I have finally devised the perfect plan to achieve my goal! Now to put it into action! _The plush Kon jumped down from his hiding spot as he rushed toward his dear Orihime. _Oh, beautiful Orihime, your awesome cuddles await me. _However...

_Wait! This is _not _part of the plan! _Kon ran even faster as Tatsuki was kicking the ball right behind him, not really paying attention at what was going on down there.

"Pitch coming!" Tatsuki announced.

"What?" This wasn't going to look good.

Tatsuki readied herself and brought her leg back. "Dragon Bazooka Kick!" With one hit, she sent the ball hurling straight toward Orihime. Sadly for Kon, he had gotten himself caught up in the ball's path.

Orihime smirked as she pulled the bat back. "Here we go!" Her arms gave the bat a hard swing as she hit the ball with such great force. As it made contact with the ball, the mod soul didn't gain much from the hit either. Both him and the ball went flying high into the sky.

"Orihime, how could you?" Kon yelled as the last thing they saw was a sparkle in the bright blue sky.

Down below, the rest of the girls were celebrating the accomplishment. Although, Tatsuki thought otherwise. "Yeah, nice hit Orihime, but it was a pretty easy target. And the defense really didn't stand a chance. And one measly run hardly seems like a reason to break out the champagne!"

"Huh?" Orihime didn't notice that she was shaking two bottles of said drink.

Alex laughed at the two as Orihime has yet again went overboard. The other girls went pretty crazy, too. Well, Chizuru in particular.

Ichigo watched as the girls went wild with their game as he held a soccer ball in the crook of his arm. "Are they playing or what?"

"Yo, Ichigo!" Keigo yelled as he jumped high into the air before landing on the orange headed boy. "Checking out the girls, huh?" He pushed his head back while looking at a busty ginger. "Oh, I got ya! Staring at Orihime, huh? Oh yeah, she is quite the boobilicious babe!"

While those two were goofing off, Chad continued putting up the rest of the equipment. Once or twice he might have glanced at the two boys, but it was hard to tell with his hair covering his most of his eyes.

Ichigo slammed Keigo to the ground with a growl. "Hey! I thought I told you to never do that again!"

One second, a bubble like ghost was floating from Keigo's mouth. The next second, it had a flash sign over its head before shooting itself back into in the goofy brunette. He shot himself back up in a weird way. "Right. Like you don't know it's totally normal for teenage boys to be obsessed with hot cuties!" His eyes were pure white circles while comical tears streaming down his face. Keigo had a clenched fist near Ichigo's face as he yelled at him.

"Okay, I admit there's nothing wrong with that." Ichigo sweat dropped.

"What are you saying?" And then hit him...sort of. "Oh, I get it! Orihime's just not your type! So is it Rukia? Tatsuki? Alex?"

Ichigo had enough of his friend's bombardment of questions. He held his head with both hands as he swayed with overwhelming.

To somewhat help with the issue, Mizuiro chucked a soccer ball right into Keigo's head, forcing him to once again fall limp to the ground. He huffed out a heavy breath while doing this weird motion with his behind. "Quit messing around and help me out here!"

"Oh, right! Sorry!" Ichigo said.

Once everyone was back on their feet, they quickly put the last of the soccer ball baskets into the shed. Ichigo clapped his head to get the dust off. "There, that does it."

"Thanks a lot, Ichigo." Mizuiro said before turning to Keigo. "Oh, that reminds me. Have you guys seen Uryu anywhere? He's not in school today."

As they talked, Ichigo stared at the ground with the memories of what happened yesterday replaying in his head.

"Yeah. Yesterday, I saw him in the park. He was talking to himself and was running around and acting like a weirdo. It was like he was having some battle with imaginary monsters or something." Keigo said.

With that piece of information being heard, Ichigo started to sweat buckets with nervousness. _Was Asano there yesterday? That could be trouble. _

"He is kind of overly dramatic. What's up with that anyways?" Mizuiro added.

"Hey, now that you mention it, maybe that's his deal. Maybe Uryu was there for some drama class and was rehearsing for a play. Come to think of it, there were a few other weird people there, too. Those must have been his co-stars."

Ichigo mentally sighed to himself. _Thankfully, Keigo is a total idiot. Looks like I dodged another bullet. _

As everyone went back inside, Rukia leaned near a window in her empty classroom with a saddened expression. It seems like something had bothered her all day. Did it have something to do with the Menos Grande incident from yesterday? Or was it about the results that were soon to show itself?

* * *

"Uryu! What in the world happened to you?" Ms. Ochi stared surprisingly at the bandaged Uryu. What could have possible caused his injuries?

Whispering was heard from nearly the entire class as they saw the top ranked student all beaten up.

Of course, the true reason behind his wounds was kept unknown to them. Uryu adjusted his glasses as the lens glinted off a white light. "I, um, fell down the stairs."

And now the rest of his classmates were somewhat struck at the excuse. There had must have been more to his story than just falling down a flight of stairs. It didn't sound convincing enough.

"Hm..whatever you say. Well, take your seat and turn to page 110." Ms. Ochi turned back toward the board with her textbook as she pointed toward Uryu's seat with her thumb.

Alex had just now looked up from her textbook and saw Uryu's arms covered in bandages. She started to feel a little pained at the mere sight of his wounds. _I shouldn't let that bother me. It wasn't my fault that he received those injuries. Besides, it was his choice to save Ichigo and help control his Zanpakuto. _

It seems that Ichigo had also been watching Uryu but with a laughable face.

"Don't let it bother you."

"Hm?" Ichigo turned to see that it was Rukia talking to him.

"His injuries aren't your fault." Rukia continued. "He brought it on himself. Besides, it would have happened anyway."

Ichigo leaned his chin in the palm of his hand while looking the other way. "You gotta be kidding. I'm not the least bit worried about Uryu."

Rukia then followed in suit to Ichigo's comical face. "Interesting. I never suggested you were worried about him. If you recall, all I said was 'don't let it bother you'."

A red flashing sign appeared above Ichigo's head as everything processed through his head. He whipped his head toward Rukia with a throbbing vein and a clenched fist. A dark-like aura or flame emitted from his being. "Why you...!"

The dark-haired girl brought her textbook up to cover her mouth. It was soon lowered back down as she became worried about something. It was most likely about what she was thinking about all day. There were others that had felt a bit uneasy, specifically the ones that were able to see spirits.

There were other students, one who weren't able to see spirits, that thought up of other possible explanations. Some included fighting and whatnot.

Later on when the bell for lunch rang. A silly and over-dramatic boy made his way over to his friend in a ballerina-like fashion. "Ichigo! Ready to have lunch big guy?"

"I guess I'm ready. But how about if I invite someone new to join us?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh, you want to invite the new girl I bet, huh? You go mister!"

Unfortunately for Keigo, that wasn't the case at all. Ichigo had made his way over to Uryu with his usually scowl. "Hey, Uryu. What's up? You wanna come and have some lunch with me?"

Keigo was in total shock with whom Ichigo had indicated to. "What is Ichigo doing inviting that freak-a-zoid to lunch with us? He must have blown a fuse to do something so stupid!" Something flashed above the brown-haired boy's head. "I can't be seen with that geek! Anyone but Mr. Bandages. Ichigo, have you gone crazy?"

"I think you're the crazy one!" Mizuiro added with a smiling yet worried sort of face.

Uryu abruptly shot up from his seat. "No thanks."

"Oh, how rude!" Keigo said while shooting Uryu a look.

"Oh, come on. It's no big deal. Besides, Asano's buying." Ichigo said.

That got to him. "_I'm _buying?"

Uryu adjusted his glasses, a quick flash of white shining off of them. "Well, if you insist."

"Oh, it's like that, huh?" Keigo wasn't really liking this idea.

Meanwhile, Rukia sat upon a high branch in a tree outside. She had a flashback of the Soul Reaper that came the day when the Grand Fisher attacked Ichigo and his sisters. "I've been under suspicion from the very beginning. And it won't be much longer before they come for me."

"There she is. Hey, Rukia!" Mahana called down from below. She was one of Orihime and Tatsuki's friends. Said girls were with the 3rd year student as they waited. "Come on down! Why don't you join us for lunch?"

Rukia, Alex, Tatsuki, Orihime, and the rest of their friends were all sitting on the shaded grass as they ate their lunches. Orihime was searching through her bag to find her own lunch. When she found it, she took it out with a big smile. "Ta-da! It's a Choco-Jelly Sugar Death Tort! It's eggplant cream sponge cake with green bean jelly filling and chocolate frosting!" She took a chomp out of the huge slice of tort with a smile of pleasure.

Tatsuki made a face as she ate her rice ball. "How can you eat that stuff, Orihime?"

"The question is: how can she eat like that and not get as big as a blimp?" Michiru corrected.

"I guess her boobs absorb the calories." Ryo suggested.

While they were wondering about Orihime's eating habits, Mahana decided that now was the time to ask Rukia the question everyone wanted to know the answer to. "Hey, can I ask you something? Do you have a crush on Ichigo?"

Rukia was peacefully and quietly sipping on a carton of chocolate milk. That is until Mahana asked that, causing her to spray out a fountain of her drink straight out. A little rainbow appeared above it before going away afterward. She turned to the upperclassman with a confused expression. "Huh?"

Alex had gotten caught off guard as well. She was eating her sub sandwich but started choking on it as she heard the question. She would have been a goner had it not been for Michiru's help.

"I'll take that as a 'maybe'. But what exactly is your relationship with that guy?" Mahana said.

"Well, he's my friend!" Rukia's voice sounded slightly muffled behind the napkin she used to clean herself up with from the chocolate milk. _Why in the world would they think that something is going on between me and Ichigo? Is it because of the many times that I go with him to find the Hollows? _

"Mahana! That's not the kind of question you ask straight out like that!" Michiru said after making sure that Alex was alright. A slight shade of pink had made its way to her cheeks.

Said girl explained her reasoning. "I don't see why not. It's the question you wanted to ask her yourself, but none of you were willing to do it. So, I just it for you."

"Hey! Just who says I wanted to know anything like that anyway?"

"Well, I still wanna know the answer!" Chizuru put in.

"What do you have against Ichigo anyway, Michiru?" Tatsuki ask.

The shy girl pushed her index fingers together, looking as if she was guilty of something. "It's not that I have anything against him. I just think that there's something scaring looking about his face, that's all."

Orihime stopped nomming on her tort. "Scary looking? Well I don't think so. I like his face!"

"Really? You must have changed your mind then, because I know you used to be afraid of him, too!" Michiru stated.

Alex only kept her mouth shut to prevent herself from getting involved in this mess. _Oh boy. Do they always have these types of conversations? Although, I too wanna know what Rukia has to say. I haven't gotten most of my memories back yet, but I can still guess that she'll probably say that their just friends. _

"Well?" Mahana said. "What's the story, Rukia?"

They all silenced themselves to hear what was going on between her and Ichigo. Rukia bowed her head with a shadow over her eyes. "Ichigo and I are..." She straightened herself up again with a bright smile. "Ichigo and I are just friends. That's all there is to it." Rukia said in her sweet girl voice.

"For real?"

"Yes."

"You mean you don't feel anything special for him? Not at all?" Chizuru said.

"No, there is nothing else going on."

Orihime pouted while hugging herself. "Aw, that's too bad for us girls! If Rukia liked Ichigo like me, that would make two of us, and we'd have so much to talk about. And then if Alex started liking Ichigo, then there would be even more stuff to talk about."

Alex once again started choking on her sandwich. "Wh...What the...?" Michiru gently patted Alex on the back to calm her down.

"And if Tatsuki decided _she _liked Ichigo, then pretty soon we'd all start liking him. And we can all sit around and talk about all the reasons on why we like him. And it would be a sure win for the girl's team."

"Someone stop her before her nonsense starts to make sense to me." Tatsuki interrupted.

"Say, it's actually not a bad idea to have an affection competition!" Chizuru had her hand on her chin as her glasses shined off a white glow. _But I have to make sure _I_ have first dibs on the beautiful smile of Orihime's. _

The green-eyed brunette stared comically at the red-haired nutcase. "Chizuru, what are you... Oh no."

Ryo looked over at Alex with a raised brow. "What is it, Alex? Is something wrong?"

"Well..."

Chizuru was already beginning to strip herself of her bow tie."So let's start with a one on one! Just you and me!" Then she started unbuttoning her shirt. Steam shot out of her nostrils as a smile broke across her face."Give it to me, Orihi-!" The excited girl took a jab to the gut courtesy of Tatsuki. Chizuru held her stomach before inching away and plopping herself down on the soft grass. "Not exactly...what I had in mind."

"Just give it a rest, Chizuru!" Tatsuki shouted toward the determined red-head.

Said girl tried getting herself up. But the tough girl beat her senseless with rapid kicks to the stomach.

Orihime giggled before resuming her conversation. "Anyway, Rukia, tomorrow I'll be sure to bring you some of my other yummy desserts so you can try them out yourself. Then we can enjoy them together!"

"Okay, I'll think about it." Rukia replied while rubbing her napkin on her cheek.

"Aww! That's the same thing you said to me last time! You keep saying that, Rukia! 'I'll think about it'."

"Oh really? I guess I do!"

Alex looked around with a small smile on her face. Everyone, well, except Chizuru, were having a great time just sitting around and talking. To be honest, she never did really spend this much time with any of her friends back in her old universe. Alex is usually an outgoing person, but there were times when she would like to sit alone and keep to herself. _I guess hanging with Orihime, Tatsuki, Rukia, and Ichigo helped changed me. _She looked up at the sky as the tree's leaves shaded her face and the ground beneath her. _I think I'm starting to really like this place. Well, without the hollows and everything. But that's normal here._

"Hey, Alex?"

"Hm?"

Michiru and Mahana were smiling as they stared at the brunette. "Sooo, do _you _like Ichigo?" Mahana asked in a playful tone.

"Wh- Will you people stop asking that!" Alex shut her eyes as she began flailing her arms around. The other two girls laughed before changing the subject. It was funny seeing everyone's reactions.

Rukia watched as her friends laughed and conversed with one another. _This is nice... But, I know I don't belong here._

* * *

The bell for the end of the day chimed. Nearly all of Karakura High's students headed out to go home. Some would stay behind for a little while or would be attending to after school activities or clubs. Alex was walking out of the front gates with her bag held in front of her. She said her goodbyes to all of her friends, including Rukia and Ichigo. Her memories were starting to come back to her one by one. _It would be easier if they had just came back all at once, or at least up until a certain point. _

"I know a way for you to remember a good chunk of them all at once!" A little girl's voice said in a happy tone.

"What the hell? Oh, it's you, Bobo." Alex nearly jumped a foot in the air if she hadn't recognized the small child.

Botania was standing in her path. "You guessed it!" She began walking backwards as Alex followed. "So, do you still want to know how you can get nearly half of your memories back? Or do you want to know why it's taking so long?"

"Hm...A little bit of both."

"Well, as you start to become more and more attached to the characters here, your mind begins to slowly forget about what is to come later. However, your subconscious still has those memories in your head. As for a way to quicken the attainment process-."

"Let me stop you right there." Alex said. "Would you mind telling me just how the hell you know all these big words? Aren't you still a kid?"

Bobo giggled. "I may look like a little girl, but I'm thousands of years old!"

Alex's jaw dropped as her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "The hell?"

"Anyways-"

"Oh, ignore the confused girl, huh?"

"You must take part of an important event. But you have to do it soon, or it'll take even longer for you to remember."

Alex crossed her arms over her chest. "Alright, so can you give me some sort of hint about what's going to happen next?"

Bobo shook her head while giving a winning smile. "Nope!"

"Oh, what the crap! That is so not far!" She made a fist at the sandy-haired girl.

"Sorry, but this is something that I cannot interfere with. But don't worry. I'm sure that it'll come to you real soon." Bobo twirled back around to face the Rosewood residence as they approached it.

The teenage girl sighed. "I guess."

About one or two hours later when nightfall came, Ichigo brought up a plate of dinner for roommate. "Hey, Rukia! I've got your dinner here!" He looked around and saw that she wasn't there. "Dammit, why does she have to disappear right at dinner time?" Ichigo set down his friend's food down on his desk before heading back out of his room. What he didn't notice was the note left by said person. It read, 'Thank you for everything', with one of Rukia's drawing waving goodbye on it.

Outside of the Kurosaki Clinic, Rukia was looking back at the building one last time before running off with a small backpack. Above in the sky were two unknown Soul Reapers wearing the same uniform as the others. One of them had on a pair of goggles or glasses that tracked Rukia as she ran.

"Rear conformity: 113. Neural union coefficient at 80.5%." The Soul Reaper talking had long red hair tied up behind him. He had these strange yet somewhat stylish tattoo designs. "Is this for real? I didn't think we'd actually find her in a Gigai. But it looks like the data from the Visuals Department was reliable." The man pushed his glasses up for him to see with his own eyes. "Rukia Kuchiki. Yes, we've finally found you." He grinned as he watch the petite girl run.

There was another Soul Reaper with long black hair being kept up in white headpieces. He wore a white scarf around his neck as he silently stared after Rukia as well.

* * *

_**I hope you liked it. Ciao!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer: Same as before, people. Everyone should know it by now.**_

_**Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

"...Huh." Alex stood as still as a statue near her bathroom door. She had just finished taking a shower, so she had on her robe and a towel for her hair.

Bobo laid on her bed while reading a child's bedtime storybook. Once hearing the brown-haired girl, her blue eyes looked up from the book and at Alex. "Is there something the matter?"

Alex's eyebrows knitted themselves toward the other in slight frustration. "I...don't know. It feels like something's happening someplace else, and someone I know is in danger. I'm not sure if it's my intuition or not." The teenager made her way over to her dresser for her night wear. "But...do you think it's subconscious returning my memories to me?"

The little girl shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not."

Alex sighed. Her arms limply fell to her sides. Green eyes stared up at her ceiling in deep thought. There had to be a reason for her sudden feeling. If Alex went over the events that happened so far, something just might come to her. _Alright, let's see. _A finger would go up with each thought. _From what I remembered, there was the Menos Grande incident, the Soul Reaper that was sent here to talk to Rukia about something, Kon being one of the few mod souls left, and Rukia transferring her powers to Ichigo. Hm... If I could just remember exactly what that Soul Reaper said to Rukia... _A short gasp left Alex in sudden realization.

"Alex? What's wrong now?" Bobo started to feel a bit uneasy. If Alex were to suddenly gasp after thinking over something for a long time, something had to be going on.

Silence flooded the room as no words were said between the two girl. Alex was the first to break the deadly silence. "Bobo, if you're able to, I need you to help me change into a Soul Reaper. It's important that you do so _now_."

Bobo didn't understand what was happening. But from the way Alex acted, it must be serious. "Well, I don't think that I can. I don't have the glove your friend Rukia uses, nor the cane Mr. Hat and Clogs has."

Alex whipped her head around to face Bobo. She used so much force that the towel wrapped around her hair fell down, allowing wet strands of brown hair fall to her shoulders. "Then how am I supposed to help Ichigo if I can't become a Soul Reaper?" She would have yelled had not it been for her family being in the same building as her. Alex shook her head and gave a soft smile. "Sorry, I tend to be a bit loud when frustrated. Please don't feel hurt."

Bobo smiled. "Oh, I don't cry or anything. I just whack people on the head whenever they need to snap out of it. So it's no big deal."

An eye twitched with irritation. "Really? Are you friggin' kidding me?"

"Nope!"

"I wasn't...never mind." Alex mumbled while getting dressed into a pair of black leggings and a red T-shirt with a pink Tulip and music notes circling around it. She left her hair be and would just have to deal with it. "Bobo, if I don't come back before morning-."

"I can have your room?" Bobo's eyes lit up.

Alex's brow twitched. The star-child would have been perfect as her little, annoying sister. "No. I was going to say that I will be at Urahara's Shop."

"Oh. How come?"

"...To make sure a certain bonehead stays alive." Alex reached up and touched her locket. It felt warm, and the blue light faded in and out of sight. Once she put on a pair of dark blue flats, Alex left to find Rukia.

Bobo watched after her with a worried face. "Alex...please make sure that you stay alive, too, okay?" She said in a soft voice. It's as if she really were Alex's younger sibling. Who could blame her? For the past couple of months, Bobo had the time of her life with Alex. Sure they didn't see eye to eye and would sometimes become confused with the other's words, mostly Alex, but the two of them were still able to understand one another. If anything were to happen to the brunette, Bobo would feel broken-hearted. But for now, all she could do was hope that nothing happens.

* * *

By the time Alex began her search, Rukia had reached a far enough distance away from the Kurosaki Clinic. She knew that it was time for her to leave. The Soul Society would come for her soon, and she couldn't just sit and relax knowing that someone was bound to arrive. So, once Rukia left Ichigo and Kon her farewell letter, she ran away.

Not a single sound was heard from Rukia save for her shoes' heels hitting the pavement. As she ran, memories of her time staying in this town started to flood her mind. The first one was the moment Ichigo became a Substitute Soul Reaper to save his sisters and Alex. Things and events of importance or joy to Rukia replayed in her head one after another. _If I'm going to leave here one day, all of these memories will only be a burden. Compassion, friendship, and affection. They're a nuisance. All of these feelings aren't necessary for a Soul Reaper. They're unbecoming of me. _Violet eyes stared at the ground. _I've remained in this world for far too long. It's time to move on. _

A moment of silence passed before someone yelled and brought Rukia out of her thoughts. "Yes! Finally get it, don't ya?"

Rukia stopped, whipping her head around while looking up an unknown figure watching her from above. They sat upon the top of a telephone pole. It seems that it was a Soul Reaper. And not just some random one, but the one with the tracking glass-wear and spiky, red hair.

He unsheathed his Zanpakuto and held it in place. The blade glinted off a bit of light as it stayed in a sort of curved position. "But you know, I really gotta hand it to ya. I'm very impressed! By sulking around so long here in this world, you actually managed to prolong what little life you have left, Rukia." He grinned down at said girl in a playful yet scary fashion.

Once getting a better look at the Soul Reaper, Rukia's eyes slightly widened with recognition. "Renji... What in the world are you doing here?"

Instead of answering, Renji jumped from the wooden pole with his sword raised high. Using both of his hands, he brought it down with a battle cry and would have gotten Rukia had she not barely moved out of the blade's path. As it met with the concrete, a burst of green energy shot out from his Zanpakuto.

The same grin was plastered on Renji's face as he looked up at the astonished girl. But it might have been a boasting smirk. The green energy soon faded away, allowing Rukia to see Renji's face more clearly. "So you're telling me that you had two hunters from the Soul Society lurking right behind you, but you were so lost in thought that you didn't even notice, huh?" White particles floated up from where Renji's sword hit the ground like small bubbles.

Rukia only stood there trembling with a surprised look in her eyes and on her face. Is this really the same Renji she knew before her departure for Karakura?

"I'll grant you that spent the last few months in that Gigai. But still, don't you think that you've grown just a little too lax?" Renji straightened himself up as he brought his sword up, laying it on his shoulder. The strength of his attack left multiple cracks in the ground. It almost looked like a crater. Smoke emitted from the sidewalk and dispersed entirely once Renji's Zanpakuto rose away from it. "Spit it out, Rukia."

She regained her composure and only stared at the red-haired man in front of her with a blank expression. Rukia mustn't show any signs of fear or anything of that nature. It's true, she was amazed at Renji's growth in power. But it didn't mean she would show it and give in that easily.

To help Rukia understand what he meant, "So where is the human who took all of your powers away from you?"

"What are you talking about? Just because I'm inside a Gigai right now, it doesn't mean I've lost any of my power! And anyway, why would you even think it was a human who took that power?" Rukia said defensively.

"It was a human." Renji's grin left his face and was replaced with a serious frown. He didn't have time for Rukia's little mind games. "It's obvious; just look at you! Otherwise, you wouldn't have that stupid human expression on your face."

Rukia could only widened her eyes, locking them in place as they stared out into the distance. Had she really become too lax the more she stayed in the World of the Living? Or is it that she subconsciously gained the characteristics of a human while spending time with Ichigo and the rest of his friends?

"You're a runt from the Rukon District like me, and yet you were taken in by the noble house of Kuchiki." Renji moved a few steps to the side as he faced the other way. "They put a lot of time and money into making you the perfect Soul Reaper, one of the elite. Huh, am I wrong? You're the great Rukia Kuchiki, aren't you?" He jabbed a finger at the one and only. Rukia only stared blankly at Renji. "Gaping like some worthless human! What the hell is the matter with you?" Just then, Cherry Blossom petals flew past them. "Right, Captain Kuchiki?" The second Soul Reaper appeared behind Rukia.

Rukia's eyes widened at the mention of her sibling. She turned her body halfway around with the same surprised look. A car passed by with the both of them as she finally spoke. "Byakuya... It's you, brother."

Byakuya Kuchiki looked down upon Rukia with a somewhat cold and blank look. "Rukia." His voice had no emotion in it. It was hard to whether or not he was happy or disappointed to see his sister.

While the two siblings had their small reunion, Renji readied his Zanpakuto, making his way toward Rukia. She turned her head around just in time before barely dodging his attack. As a result, small cut showed as a dark red liquid dripped out of the thin opening on her cheek. The force from Renji's blow caused Rukia to fly forward. She stopped herself short by using both of her hands and feet as they were dragged against the concrete.

"Passing on your Soul Reaper powers to a human is a grave sin." Renji stated with his blade positioned near Rukia while she stayed close to the ground. "Be glad the higher-ups were compassionate and let us handle this instead of the Execution Squad. Now, tell us where this human is, Rukia. It's over." Rukia straightened herself up, the wound on her face leaving a small trail of blood. "We're taking you in, and then we're going to find the human who stole your powers and kill him. Don't even try to protect him. You know what just happened." Renji raised his sword behind him using a single hand."The only reason why you dodged my attacks was because I let you dodge them. The next move I make with this blade...will be fatal."

Rukia began to step back at a steady pace. Renji did the exact opposite, trying to close the gap between him and Rukia. Byakuya watched silently, waiting for his subordinate to make his move. Both of them stopped as Renji took hold of the hilt with his hands and swung his sword, aiming it at Rukia. Said girl dodged it by leaping over Renji's head. The red-haired man grinned before jumping high into the air. Before landing on the sidewalk, he brought his sword down and aimed at Rukia.

For the umpteenth time, Rukia dodge yet another one of his attacks by pushing herself away from him. But she slipped and ended up tumbling like a log, She soon stood tall as she got up. However, she must have hit her arm hard while rolling against the concrete. Rukia was then forced to go down on both knees.

Renji saw this and took it as an opportunity to inflict the final blow. "This is it." He walked over to Rukia, raised his sword, and prepared to strike. But there was something glowing in his sword. It seemed like a reflection of an incoming projectile. "Huh?" Renji saw this just in time. He moved out of the way, barely avoiding it. His head turned and faced the one responsible for attacking him with a slight growl of frustration.

Up ahead was an unknown figure approaching the scene. "Two armed men attacking a defenseless young girl. I have to tell you, it's _not _a pretty sight." Revealing himself under the lamp-post's light was Uryu the Quincy. His wore casual clothing such as a blue, striped shirt with a dark blue cross and regular pants. He carried a plastic bag in one of his bandaged hands. "I don't know; it just isn't my style. Know what I mean?"

"Alright, kid, you can see us! So tell me, just who the hell are you?" Renji demanded.

Uryu adjusted his glasses using the hand that held his bag. "Just a classmate."

"Classmate, huh?"

"One who hates Soul Reapers."

Byakuya decided to examine the newcomer at a closer range. He immediately and quietly appeared behind Renji with the same blank face. Not a single sound left him.

_Uryu? _Rukia stood up with her hand still holding on to her injured arm. "Ishida, what are you doing here?"

"Just passing by. Nothing for you to worry about. But if you must know," he held up his plastic bag. "I had a sudden urge to go to Sunflower Seams, this all night thread shop I frequent. So I happened to be out for a stroll this evening and came across your little party. I mean, come on. It's not like I sensed the presence of Soul Reapers in this city and ran off into the night carrying a bag of needles and thread with me to use as an excuse when I finally caught up with you." A cartoonish star shined near Uryu's head as he explained.

Rukia sweat dropped as she stared at the glasses wearing boy._ That's the worst lie I've ever heard. He's not _that _stupid. _

"Although, I understand if you're skeptical." Without realizing it, something had cut Uryu's bag's plastic handles, leaving a slit on his wrist before it bled. He took his hand away from his glasses and looked at the damage.

"Hey! I just asked you a question." It seems like Renji was responsible. His blade now rested on his shoulder while his free hand was on his hip. "I said: who the hell are ya, kid?" The only response he got was silence. "Hey, that fine. You don't have to answer if you don't want you. We skip ahead to the part where I kill you." By now, the tip of his Zanpakuto pointed straight at Uryu.

Rukia stepped in front of Uryu. There was no need for anyone else to get involved in her problems. "Wait a minute, Renji. He's got nothing to do with it-!"

Uryu cut her off. "Just what are you talking about? I already gave you an answer. As I already told you, I'm a classmate of Rukia's, _and _I hate Soul Reapers."

"Well, I don't care much for your answer. So why don't you try again?" Renji retorted.

For a moment, Uryu stared back at Renji with a calm face. He closed his eyes before opening them again. "Uryu Ishida. It's a pleasure."

"Huh?" Renji slightly cocked his head to the side, his sword still aimed at Uryu. "What's with you all of a sudden?"

"Well, I just thought you had a right to know. You may be a Soul Reaper, but you should know the one that's about to kill you." Uryu adjusted his glasses, the light from the lamp-post glinted off of his lenses.

Renji's grip on his sword tightened as his entire body trembled. But it wasn't because of fear. A wide grin broke across Renji's face, one that belonged to a psychopath killer. "That settles it. I'm going to cut you in half!" His own vein throbbed near his temple. This was not going to be a pleasant sight. An aggravated Renji would most likely result in disaster or destruction.

* * *

"For the love of crud! Where the heck is Rukia?" Alex cursed to herself while leaning on her knees. She panted heavily after running for so long. For at least ten or fifteen minutes, Alex searched for the raven-haired Soul Reaper. _Think, Alex. Where had Renji and Byakuya stopped Rukia from going any further? _A flashback slowly faded into her mind, showing Uryu facing off with Renji. The scene faded away, and Alex finally remembered the exact location. Her legs hurriedly ran into the direction of her destination, hoping that nothing serious has happened yet.

"_But what are you going to do when you get there?" _Bobo's voice echoed in Alex's head. It caused her to slow down and actually think for a second.

"...What _am _I going to do? I'm not able to change into a Soul Reaper. And without any other way, I'm stuck as a human." Alex whispered to herself. She stopped altogether, green eyes staring at the ground with a lost look in them. "How can I do anything if I don't have the power to do so?" Both hands clenched themselves into tight, frustrated fists. "Screw it! Just because I'm a human, it doesn't mean that I'm weak! At least I know that I tried to help!" With that in mind, Alex broke out into a run to where Rukia and Uryu were. A few minutes passed by before the teenage girl was able to find her friends. But it seems that she was too late.

Uryu fell face forward on the hard, cold concrete. Renji must have badly beaten him. "Well, well, looks like you were nothing but talk." Renji stood over Uryu's body. Coughing could be heard from the Quincy as the wound he received oozed out his crimson blood. Renji knew that this fight was over before it even started. _If this guy thought that he could actually kill me, there must have been something wrong with his head. No one way am I letting some brat talk big at me without getting away with!_

Rukia watched as Uryu struggled to somehow stop the bleeding from his injury. Her attention went back to Renji with a worried look. _Renji's strong. He's even stronger than before! I can barely move, let alone stop him. If only I had known that he and brother followed me this entire time, none of this would have, and Uryu wouldn't be on the ground in such bad shape. _Out of the corner of her eyes, Rukia saw yet another shadowed figure in the distance, along with the sensation of a certain person's spirit energy. _Wait a second...could it be? Oh, no! If Alex doesn't run now, she'll surely end up just like Uryu! There must be a way for me to warn her. _Luckily, Renji hasn't noticed Alex just yet.

As sneakingly as she could, Rukia tried giving Alex a sign to leave immediately and to find a safe place for her to hide in. But it was no use. The brunette brushed off her warnings with a slight shake of her head. _Why, Alex? Why did you come here? You haven't even changed into a Soul Reaper! How do you plan on beating either one of them with your powers? Did you not witness the power and strength Renji beholds? There is a very slim chance that you will even last ten seconds against a real Soul Reaper. _

Renji probably didn't see Alex while he advanced toward Uryu. "Now then, let's finish this off, shall we?" He raised his Zanpakuto and held it there. "Remember this as you part this world: Renji Abarai is the name of the man who killed you."

"Hold on!" Rukia spun around and tried to prevent Uryu from getting killed.

Nonetheless, Renji brought his sword down with full force. "Pleasure knowing ya!" Suddenly, the ground underneath cracked and broke off into different shapes and sizes. An unknown blue energy was the cause of the powerful strike. Renji was forced back, landing on a gate built on the other side of the sidewalk. He saw that another guest arrived for the party. "So who in hell's name are you?"

Standing high and tall with the tip of his over-sized Zanpakuto pointed downward was none other than the orange-haired, Substitute Soul Reaper. "The name is Ichigo. I'm the one who's gonna beat your beat ass. How's it going?" All but Byakuya stared at Ichigo in shock.

"Wearing a Shihakusho? I don't know you; what squad are you from?" Renji asked in curiosity. His eyes then saw the sword now resting on Ichigo's shoulder. "Check out that over-grown Zanpakuto!"

"Oh, yeah? So, you're saying I got a big one, huh? It's funny. To tell you the truth, I've been thinking this thing looked kinda big compared to Rukia's and Alex's blade. But you know, I've gotta say. Up until now, I haven't had anything else to compare it to." Ichigo said. He stood behind a smoking crater that was a result of his powerful attack.

"Ichigo..." Alex then noticed that Uryu was still hurt. In a stealth-like manner, she rushed over to his side and knelt down next to him. Uryu saw her and tried forcing out her name. But with the pain and continuous loss of blood, he had a difficult time doing so. Alex gently shook her head, letting him know that he didn't need to say a word. With the few healing techniques Rukia taught her, Alex used her Kido to attempt to close Uryu's wounds.

Renji realized something else about Ichigo's sword. "The size of it reflects a Soul Reaper's spirit energy. How did a snot-nosed, little brat get a sword that size? Is he for real?" He thought aloud.

Rukia inched a step closer with a worried face. _Ichigo, you fool! Why did you come?_

"Oh, I get it." Renji brought Rukia's eyes to him. "You're the lowly human who took Rukia's powers, aren't ya, Carrot Top?" Ichigo didn't exactly follow, but it didn't matter to him. Now that Renji knows who's responsible for the theft of Rukia's powers, he could deal with him right here and now. He sprang up into air and swung his own Zanpakuto down on Ichigo's. The attack was blocked, but that wouldn't stop him. "Come on! Come on! What's wrong? Is that big sword just for show? Huh?" Their blades repeatedly clashed against the other's, sparks flying in all directions.

Finally, Ichigo was able to push Renji back, far enough for him to strike. He used both of his hands to swing his sword down. But unfortunately, Renji easily dodged it as he leaped high over his head.

Renji took this as a chance to strike from behind. With one slash from his blade, Renji forced Ichigo to drop to his knees with a dumbfounded expression. Blood shot out of Ichigo's right shoulder before he grabbed onto it. Both Rukia and Alex's eyes widened.

"Ichigo!" Alex shouted with a strained voice.

* * *

_**You're going to hate me for this, but I have to end the chapter. Don't worry! I will hurry with the next update. So no getting impatient on me, ya hear?**_

_**See you next time!**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: The Bleach anime belongs to the creator, Tite Kubo.**_

_**Enjoy~**_

* * *

**Chapter 13**

"Ichigo!" Alex got up and ran after the injured Substitute Soul Reaper.

"Alex, stop!" Rukia went after the brunette, also needing to help him. She was stopped by a bandaged hand that grabbed her by the ankle. Violet eyes found their to the fallen Quincy.

"Don't go.." Uryu said, his voice sounding hoarse and weak.

"Uryu..." Rukia looked back up at Ichigo, Renji, and Alex.

By the time Uryu stopped Rukia, Alex already made it to the hurt and slightly confused boy. "Geez, Ichigo. Can't you ever keep your guard up at all times?" She examined his wound after trying to gently lift his hand away from it. Ichigo held on tight while looking up with a feared expression.

"Alex, what are you doing here? You're still a human!"

"Put a sock in it. And just because I'm a human, it doesn't mean that I can't fight back to save my ass." Alex argued. "Now hold still, will ya?"

Ichigo did what he was told and held still as Alex used her Kido. However, Renji wouldn't allow it. "Now wait just a minute. Mind telling me who the hell you are? If you don't, then you just might end up like glasses boy over there." He pointed his Zanpakuto at the nearly unconscious Uryu. "So you better give me a good answer, got it?"

Alex brought her attention up at the red-haired Soul Reaper. She made sure to keep calm and simply tell him who she is. "Alexandria, but you can call me Alex." She casually answered.

"Alex, huh? Well, since you co-operated so nicely, I might let you leave here alive with a few severe scars and injuries. But, that's only if you don't get in my way." A toothy grin made its way to Renji's face.

"At least you'll be giving me a chance to live." Alex mumbled.

"What was that?" Renji asked.

"Oh, nothing at all, ya tattooed freak." Alex smiled.

Renji had to restrain himself from strangling the life out of this one. "Listen, you little brat! I suggest you watch your mouth before I change my mind about your fate. Now, step aside and let me finish your little friend off."

"Hm, let me think about it-kiss my ass, pineapple head." Alex shot a comical look at the pissed off Soul Reaper.

By now, he was shaking as if experiencing his own earthquake. _This little chick is really beginning to piss me off!_ "I might as well deal with _you _now!" He reached forward to grab Alex by the collar.

Sadly for Renji, she moved her head out of the way. The motion nearly caused him to lose balance. Alex got up from the ground and went into a fighting stance. "Ya gotta catch me first." She said in a playful tone. To further anger Renji, Alex made a gesture for him to come at her.

"Now you're _really _asking for it!" Renji shouted.

_Alex, what in the world do you think you're doing? There is no possible way that you're able to defeat Renji. You'll be killed! _Rukia thought as she stayed near Uryu. "You have to stop this now, Alex! Get out of here!"

But Alex paid no mind to Rukia's pleas. She wasn't going down without a fight, and that's how it's always been with her ever since learning how to defend herself and others. "What are you waiting for? I thought you said you were going to deal with me now?"

"Oh, don't worry. I will!" Renji aimed a slash toward Alex while lunging forward. He was surely going to have fun slicing that annoying girl into pieces.

Alex barely dodged his attack and ended up taking a hit to the arm. It didn't bother her as much after some of the pain subsided. She would wince every few seconds, but she had to stay strong. "That all ya got?" Renji smirked deviously and started delivering multiple attacks, all of which that aimed directly toward Alex. She used her quick footwork to avoid as many blows as she could. Unfortunately, there were few that landed on the same injured arm, her abdomen, and her leg. They weren't serious, nor were they minor.

Renji stepped back to see his work with a satisfied grin. "Well, well, looks like little miss smart-mouth couldn't handle a little beating." He watched as Alex held on to her nearly limp arm. She then gave a small smirk. "Huh? What's with that smirk of yours?"

Without a second to lose, Alex hurriedly charged toward him and knees him in his stomach. Renji had to admit that her sudden attack caught him off guard. He let out a small grunt of pain before glaring at the still smirking girl. "I'm sorry, did you say something about not handling a 'little beating'?"

"You son of a..." Renji used the hilt of his sword to jab it into Alex's side. It was his turn to smirk once seeing the pained look on her face. "Now who's talking?"

The force Alex put in her knee began to weaken. She dropped to the floor before staying up on one knee. One of her green eyes moved up to see Renji stand over her in victory. His sword laid itself down on his shoulder. "Since you seem tired and pretty beaten up, I'll trust that you won't get back up anytime soon." Renji turned over to the astonished boy. "And as for you, it's over."

Ichigo blinked as he came back into reality. Did he actually see Alex fighting against a Soul Reaper without using her powers? But even so, she's all cut up and hurt. Uryu laid on the ground with a serious wound, and Rukia looked a little injured herself. If only he came here sooner, and if only he saw that Soul Reaper's attack coming, none of them would be hurt right now.

Renji slowly made his way toward Ichigo, tapping his sword against his shoulder. "Very soon you'll be dead, and Rukia will get her powers back. And then, Rukia will go back to the Soul Society to die." The lamp-post above them went out as he watched the kid started to tense up a little. But to be honest, he should have known this was coming. "Man, you are as dumb as they come. Rukia came out here on her own, just so _you _wouldn't have to get involved. You should've stayed home, but _you _had to come play the hero. Just what do you think you could accomplish here? You're not a Soul Reaper, you're a fake!" He closed his eyes with his head held up high. "There's no way you could hurt a real Soul Reaper. You couldn't even lay a scratch on one of us!"

A slash of bright light appeared near Renji as he opened his eyes again. It left a small cut on his chin. He shouldn't have underestimated Ichigo like that. "Sorry about that." Said boy stood up holding the arm using his large Zanpakuto. "I know you were in the middle of saying something. But you left yourself wide open there, I couldn't help myself. I apologize. Why don't you continue? You were saying something about a scratch?"

Renji pressed a thumb to his chin's cut. "You punk." He growled at Ichigo before preparing himself for another attack.

"You let your guard down, Renji." Byakuya calmly stated.

It caused his subordinate to turn to said man. "Captain Kuchiki!"

"This young man here, Ichigo Kurosaki, I believe I've seen him before. There was a report from the Secret Remote Squad. He dealt a Menos Grande quite a serious blow and sent it back to Hueco Mundo as well."

Rukia looked up as her elder brother spoke. She was tending to Uryu's remaining wounds. Alex overheard Byakuya while she tried to use her Kido to heal her own injuries. But her tiresome state might have prevented her from using it. _I guess I can't use so much Kido at once. Besides, I've only learned it yesterday._

A quiet chuckle was heard from Renji, and then it became a small fit of laughter. Ichigo raised a brow at the laughing Soul Reaper. "Huh?"

"You've gotta be kidding me. Man, the Secret Remote Squad must be slipping these days." Renji had on a serious face once his laughter seized. He jutted a finger at the still confused Ichigo. "_This _kid wounded a Menos Grande? Who in their right mind would believe that load of crap? I mean, look at him, Captain! And that Zanpakuto, it's nothing but an over-grown, piece of junk! He obvious can't control his spirit energy. So tell me, what's the name of that monstrosity?"

"Huh? What's its name?" Ichigo said.

"You didn't even ask, did you?"

"What, you mean Rukia? Wait, are you guys telling me that you name your swords?"

Renji mentally shook his head at Ichigo. "I knew it. You're not even able to ask your Zanpakuto its name. You really think," he held his sword in front of him horizontally, the other hand lying itself at the end of the blade near the hilt, "you can fight me as an equal? Come back in 2,000 years!" With a swipe of his hand, Renji's entire blade transformed into a segmented one. Each segment is wider than the previous one from the hilt with pick-like protrusions on the front. Renji brought his sword to his face. "Roar, Zabimaru! Now open your eyes. See what lies before you, and fall upon your prey!" He jumped into the air while bringing his Zanpakuto down.

Ichigo quickly used his own sword to stop the attack. It worked at first, stopping the tip of the last segment. However, it was somehow extended with even more segments and impaled the first few into Ichigo's shoulder. He trembled in pain as he stood without his Zanpakuto. It was forced out of his hands and now lied a few feet away from him. Renji's Zabimaru started coming back to him. Each blade past Ichigo's shoulder added on to his injury as they went back. More and more blood came out of the deep wound. _What...the hell just...happened?_

"It's over, you little runt. You've lost to Renji Abarai and will die where you stand!" Renji said.

Rukia stared with widened eyes filled with horror. Byakuya watched with the same blank face he wore from the beginning. But the one who was in serious shock was Alex. Witnessing that last attack on Ichigo almost forced her to forget her memories once more. _And _this _is supposed to help me regain nearly all my memories? I'd rather wish it back than to watch Ichigo get badly hurt! _Her voice in her head cracked. The grip on her injured arm tightened. _Ichigo..._

The Substitute Soul Reaper fell to his knees, blood continuously coming out of his shoulder. He held on to it as a small puddle of blood formed from large drops of the crimson liquid.

"Sorry it has to end this way, kid." Renji swung his stretched sword around like a whip before it came back together. "But that's what's known as a difference in strength. That's because the Zanpakuto can change its size and shape in response to the wielder's spirit energy." Renji took Zabimaru and brought it close to his face. "How do you like _my _spirit energy?"

Ichigo couldn't answer. Brown eyes that were once filled with life gave off a dead and nearly faded look. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. The hand gripping on the severe wound had blood dripping down into vein-like streams. It became harder for Ichigo to breath. The way his eyes trembled was of fear or something related to it. He could even feel and hear his heartbeat grow louder with each passing second.

"Well, that's it, kid. It's time for me to head out. I don't like the way the air smells here." Renji said.

_Now, Ichigo knows that there is a difference in their strength. It's made him realize that there is no chance of winning. _Rukia thought. Her violet eyes shook as well. But it stopped after she blinked and looked down at her feet. _And so, he's backing down. That was my hope. But Ichigo will never give up. I know that. _

"Ready?" Renji stood with Zabimaru in his hand, preparing to attack.

_Ichigo, if you can still move, then save yourself. Run, please! _

After waiting patiently for the kid to respond, "No answer?"

She didn't know what came over her. But all Rukia needed to do was to get Ichigo to safety. She knew that Alex would be fine, for they were not truly after her. And Uryu would survive, thanks to Alex's Kido. But Ichigo was another story. Renji intended on killing him and no one else, only if they got in his way. So, Rukia did what she had to do. Her legs moved and ran toward Renji as he lunged toward Ichigo. "Run, Ichigo! Move!" She leaped forward and grabbed Renji's arm and planted her feet in his back, preventing him from using his Zanpakuto.

"What are you doing, Rukia? Let go of me! Are you trying to make things worse, fool?" Renji struggled to shake the persistent girl off of him.

"Ichigo, get out of here! Hurry! You've to..go!" Rukia had also struggled while keeping Renji from hurting him. "Get moving!"

That wasn't going to be the case for Ichigo. He reached for his Zanpakuto and took hold of the hilt. The action caused both Renji and Rukia to stop and watch. From behind the two, Alex lost nearly all fear and worry once seeing Ichigo move. _Thank goodness. He can still move. _And then it hit her. "Wait a minute..." She whispered to herself.

"But..But this can't be! You shouldn't have the strength left to move!" Renji shrugged Rukia off easily, for she was in too much shock. He straightened himself up with a smirk. "This'll work out just fine. I've been thinking it would be a shame to finish off someone who couldn't move anymore."

Ichigo took his sword and stood from the ground. His head hung forward with a shadowed look over his eyes.

Renji brought his sword up to lay it on his shoulder. "I guess the only thing left for you to do is fight hard and die!"

"Run! You must save yourself. I'm begging you, run!" Rukia wouldn't stop until she was sure that he ran to safety. She stopped for a moment and saw that he was completely unresponsive.

A form of power or energy began to emit itself from Ichigo's sword. His right arm's sleeve and his obi sash moved because of that energy, along with the light blue tassels wrapped around the end of the hilt.

"What's wrong? If you won't attack then I will!"

Heavy breathing was the only thing heard from the silent Ichigo. But it sounded more frightening than fatigued. In the next second, the area around Ichigo blew up with an unknown force. I t blew away some of the concrete from beneath Ichigo and snapped the tassels' chord. It nearly pushed Renji back. _Impossible! His spiritual pressure's increasing! _Everyone else had felt the sudden spike of Ichigo's power. What really made it scary and weird was the brilliant blue light coming from Alex's locket.

_What in the world? Is there something wrong with my necklace? _Her eyes were forced closed from the brightness of the blinding glow.

Ichigo then looked up with eyes filled with insanity. He somehow sliced Renji's shoulder while jumping in the air. He landed right in front of a scared and frightened Alex. Ichigo looked at her straight in the eyes for a second before he spun around to face Renji. In that second, there was a flickering in his brown eyes. She couldn't exactly make out what it was or why it happened.

A slightly frustrated Renji turned with his sword ready. "What the hell!?"

In no time, Ichigo slowly charged toward Renji and swung his sword upwards, forcing the Soul Reaper to fly back from the amount of force. He used the bar of a fence to stop himself from going any further. Once landing on the paved road, Renji glared at Ichigo with a growl. There was a blood stain in between his eyes and above his nose. As another result of the attack, his glasses broke in half, revealing the rest of the tattoos on his forehead. _What is with this kid? He was ready to die just a minute ago. So then, how did he get this newfound power?! _

"Heh! I'll tell you exactly what's wrong. It's just that your moves have somehow become a lot slower!" Ichigo said. It was now confirmed that he has mentally lost it or had been consumed by the increase of power.

_Idiot! Actually, you've gotten faster! _Renji corrected in his head.

"I don't understand what's happening to me, but I like it! I feel no pain from my wounds. In fact, I feel totally invincible!"

Alex trembled with fear. The way he acted freaked her out and made her feel uncomfortable. Anytime that Ichigo would lose control of his power, it usually didn't end so well. She was also feeling strange from the glow coming out of her locket. Is this supposed to reflect the strength of Ichigo's spiritual pressure? _But, I thought that it only tracked down Hollows... This isn't making any sense to me at all!_

The increase in Ichigo's power didn't make sense to Renji at all either. But he couldn't allow himself to be beaten by a runt. He stood up straight and swung his sword in a whip-like motion. "Why you..! Zabimaru, time for you to roar!" Renji nearly faltered when Ichigo grinned deviously. He stayed strong and used his sword to attack but failed, for Ichigo easily inched away and avoided it. Renji tried again, and this time Ichigo blocked it by smacking it away with his Zanpakuto. He was getting tired of this little brat. Said boy ran over to him, jumped off the railing of the fence, and swung his sword down on the red-haired Soul Reaper. Renji was able to dodge, but only barely.

Rukia stared in awe at the battle. _Renji is being overpowered. Incredible! _

Byakuya wasn't the least bit in awe like Rukia. Even when Ichigo's power shot up, his expression stayed the same.

As they observed, Ichigo ran over the fence once more to swing his over-sized blade at Renji. He dodged it again and backed away from the crazed boy while landing on both knees. "You're awfully good at dodging my sword!" Ichigo said. His spiritual pressure went up another notch.

Renji couldn't believe this. _What's happening!? How much higher can his spirit energy go? _

"But all that is about to end." Ichigo pushed himself off the road and into the air with his sword held high above his head. This was to be final blow.

_Can't...move! _Renji had difficulty trying to get out of the way. But it was futile. He had no chance of surviving or dodging this next move. Ichigo had gotten closer and closer with each passing second, swinging his sword down on Renji. _Not enough time! _With a battle cry, Ichigo reached his opponent and finished him off. However...

A ring of dust danced around Ichigo and Renji. It seems that something must have prevented Ichigo from delivering his attack. But what was it? Whatever, or whoever, had done it, also shortened the blade of his sword to a stump. All but Byakuya either gasped or stayed silent with shocked eyes.

"My Zanpakuto..." Ichigo faced Renji. "But, he didn't do anything." Then he looked over his shoulder to face Byakuya. _Was it him? But...impossible. He couldn't have from that distance. _His eyes then shot downwards and found the broken piece of his sword in Captain Kuchiki's hand.

Said man held it up before letting it fall out of his hand and to the ground near his feet. Once the blade fell, he slowly reached for the hilt of his own Zanpakuto, grabbing on to it.

_Is he coming? _With the bit of sword he had left, Ichigo spun around and prepared himself. But there was no use in doing so, for he couldn't even see the attack coming. It felt as though time slowed down as Byakuya went pass him. Both Rukia and Renji barely saw what happened but still figured it out.

Unfortunately, Ichigo was inexperienced and couldn't follow Byakuya's movements. Blood shot of the new gash in his torso before he slowly fell forward. _What just happened? Did he cut me? What's more if he did, I can't tell if I was hit from the back or the front. _Ichigo's insanity was now gone and left him with a confused and dead look in his brown eyes. "It hurts..."

"You're slow, even when you are falling." Captain Kuchiki said.

Rukia knew what was to happen next. "Brother, don't do it!" She yelled. But even when hearing her plea, her elder brother dealt the final blow, forcing Ichigo to instantly drop on his front. Blood flowed out from under him and formed a puddle.

_It's been a while I've seen it._ _But he's truly awesome. _Renji thought with astonished eyes. _Better pay more attention. I barely saw his second attack coming. But his first one...I couldn't even tell when he drew his sword, let alone when he put it back. _He looked down upon the fallen boy ahead of him. _But one thing's for sure, if I couldn't see it coming, I'm absolutely sure this kid doesn't have the slightest idea of what just happened to him. Regardless of that, there's still the matter of that extraordinary spiritual pressure that he demonstrated earlier. _

"What's the matter, Renji?" Byakuya asked.

Renji stared up at his Captain once coming out of his thoughts. "Ah...I really didn't need your help defeating this kid, Captain. There was no reason for you to interfere. I could have handled this myself."

"Come now, Renji. Even I will get rusty if all I ever do is watch. Do you agree?"

_No... This kid's different. He must be..._

"Ichigo!" Rukia cried out while hopping over the fence and running toward her fallen friend. "No!"

Renji hurried and ran in the opposite direction. "No, don't!" He stopped her by grabbing her by the neck and slamming her against a nearby stop-sign.

"Renji, let go! Lemme go!"

"What does it matter, you fool?" Renji growled. "The kid's already dead!"

One tear. One, glistening tear strolled down the cheek of the kneeling brunette. She didn't want to believe it. She wanted to hold on to that strip of hope that Ichigo was still alive. But seeing him lying lifeless on the cold, pavement road made it even more difficult to shake the thought of death out of her mind. As for her memories...well, let's just say that she didn't care about that at the moment. So, it was pushed to the back of her head whenever she would be able to try and remember something.

Alex felt that the wounds on her body were healed, and they were. Apparently, the glow from the locket was from Ichigo's spiritual pressure spiking to such high levels. It must have somehow healed most of her injuries when she wasn't paying attention. _But that could have meant..._ It made sense to her now. The flicker in Ichigo's eyes earlier meant that he was worried about her condition. He saw that Alex couldn't use her Kido to heal herself and was worried that something terrible would happen to her. It was bad enough that Uryu had gotten severely injured from fighting against Renji. But Uryu would be alright, even if the wound was still major. Alex healed him to the point where he wasn't in any danger of dying. Ichigo knew that Rukia would be fine, for her cuts weren't as bad as the others'.

"Listen!" A whimper came out of Alex as she turned her head over to Renji. "If you so much as touch him, they'll add 20 years to your sentence." He explained to Rukia. "Besides, Rukia, you'd only end up increasing your sins for someone who's already died!"

The raven-haired girl was on the brink of tears. "I'd got him involved in all of this. It's _my _fault that Ichigo's dead. So what the hell's wrong with me going to him?!"

Byakuya stepped in front of Ichigo. "So even if it made your sentence harsher, you'd truly feel that you must help him? Is that what you're saying to me?"

"...I am, brother."

He glanced at Ichigo and looked back at Rukia. "I understand, Rukia. This young man, does indeed bear a striking resemblance to him."

_Rukia..._ Alex couldn't stand watching her friend with tears in her eyes. But what's more important was that she get to Ichigo and keep him alive with the bit of life he possibly had left. She slowly got up from the sidewalk and limped toward Ichigo. Her injuries may have been healed, but the pain hasn't entirely subsided just yet. She held her pained arm as Byakuya watched her near him.

_And what it is that this girl thinks she is doing? Did she not hear Renji when he announced that Ichigo Kurosaki is dead? _"What do you plan on doing? Do you wish to avenge this boy's death?" Byakuya asked monotonously.

"He isn't dead." Alex replied, her voice sounding a bit hoarse.

"..." _This girl is a fool. But if she wishes to waste her time to find the truth herself, then so be it. She does not seem to be a threat anymore, since Renji took care of her earlier. But I do wonder how a mere human is able to see us and use Kido to heal the other fallen boy. _

Thunder could be heard from the gray, cloudy skies from above Karakura. _Oh...it's going to rain soon... _There was a tear stain that started from her left eye and ended near the bottom of her chin. But it was soon replaced with another tear flowing from that same eye, along with one coming from the neighboring eye. "Ichigo...please don't die..." Alex quietly pleaded.

Ichigo's hand unexpectedly grabbed Byakuya's garb near the ankle. Alex jumped with a small yelp. _Did he really hear me?! _Ichigo looked up with the same crazed face from before.

"'He's dead', you say? 'Bares a striking resemblance to him'? I'd rather that you'd quit talking about me like I'm not even here, got it?"

Hope came to Rukia's eyes. "Ichi-!..." She stopped herself short when seeing the glare her brother gave him.

"Let go." Byakuya demanded.

"I'm sorry. I can't hear you. Try looking at me when you talk." Ichigo said.

Renji was in utter shock. _This kid is still able to move? But that's impossible!_

"I see. It looks like you won't be needing that arm."

Rukia ran over to her brother and Ichigo, only to kick Ichigo's hand off of Byakuya. It surprised everyone else, especially Ichigo. "Rukia, what are you doing?"

"You are just a human... You are just a lowly human. How dare you grab my brother like that. You better learn your place!" Rukia's entire demeanor changed. It took both Ichigo and Alex off guard. Why was she doing this to them? What had caused her to change? "We should leave here now, brother. The actions Ichigo just took have opened my eyes to the truth." She stared at the ground while facing her brother. "I am ready now. Take me back to the Soul Society. It is time that I atone for my sins."

Ichigo wouldn't allow that to happened. "You can't leave here now. I mean, our work isn't finished, Rukia." A foot planted itself on Ichigo's head. It was Renji's.

"You don't know when to give up, do ya? Listen, the more you move around, the more you're gonna find yourself dead." Renji didn't like the kid, but he might as well allow him to live a bit longer. Besides, he's bound to die sooner or later.

"I see no need to inflict the final blow upon him now. Leave him be. Soon enough, he'll die on his own." Rukia sounded so...emotionless. "We should go now, brother." Rukia started to take a few steps around and ahead of Byakuya.

"Wait, Rukia! Stop; look at me. Is this some kind of a joke? Hey!" Ichigo struggled to get Renji's foot off of him.

"Don't move!" Rukia demanded with her back facing him. Her hands clenched into tight fists. "Take even one step, or try to come after me, and I'll...I'll..." She turned around with teary eyes. "I will never, ever, forgive you!"

Ichigo didn't know what to say anymore. It's as if the ability to speak nearly left him completely.

"You are going to die. So why not stay put and live a few seconds longer?"

It soon began to rain. The droplets from the sky caused the blood stain under Ichigo to move in a stream like path. Alex's green eyes made their way up to the gray clouds and were brought back down to the saddened Ichigo.

Byakuya released his hold on his sword. "Alright. I shall not inflict the finishing blow. With my two attacks against him, I have shattered both his Soul Chain and Soul Sleep. There's no point in finishing him off. He will die in less than an hour. Even if he survives this attack, all of his powers will be lost: both his special Soul Reaper power and his spirit energy." A short silenced followed as Captain Kuchiki opened his eyes. "Renji?"

"Yes." Renji got off of Ichigo and walked a couple of feet ahead of them to ready their departure. He brought his sword up to a vertical position and focused his energy into it. He then pulled it back before injecting it in an open space. Nearly all of Zabimaru disappeared into a void. "Now, open!" He called out while turning his sword, distorting the space in front of him to form a traditional Japanese waiting room door. The second door, a more circular one instead of the rectangular one, opens, and a bright white light shines as three Hell Butterflies come out. Renji returns his Zabimaru to its sealed form before sheathing it and heading toward the open door. He disappeared with his own Hell Butterfly. Byakuya did the same after Renji left. Rukia followed afterward but looked behind her shoulder at Ichigo one last time.

Alex...she just couldn't take it. This was too much for her. Seeing one of her friends leave to be executed while the other two were lying on the ground barely staying alive made her want to cry. Since it was raining, she allowed herself to let the rest of her tears flow.

_I can't speak. _Ichigo said in his head. He watched as the Soul Reapers left one by one. _I can't move. I was protected..again. Rukia..._ The gates closed and disappeared without a trace. She really was gone. He slammed a fist into a puddle of water. A few moments later, the pain worsened as the lamp post's light came back on. _It hurts... My body hurts... It's so cold..._

Alex continued to limp the rest of the way to Ichigo before kneeling down next to him. There was nothing but silence and the pitter-patter of the raindrops. A few sniffles were heard from Alex, but she didn't care. She didn't care if she was crying, and she didn't care if her entire body was soaked. She reached for one of Ichigo's hands and held it in both of hers. "Ichigo..."

Said boy carefully turned his head to see the now healed yet still pained girl. "..." _I still can't speak...But, for some reason... I feel warmth coming from her hands. And a bit of the pain is gone, but there's still plenty of it left..._

A waning smile formed on the brunette's lips. "It's okay. You don't have to talk if you can't. But...I want to thank you...for protecting me." She saw the surprised look in Ichigo's brown eyes. "You may have been protected, but you were still able to protect. And always keep in mind the meaning of your name. I never did tell you that it suits you."

Ichigo blinked at Alex. He never really knew that she thought about his name like that. In fact, he didn't exactly remember telling her the meaning behind his name, the one his father told him. Ichigo saw the tears rolling down Alex's eyes. If he could, he would wipe her tears away and tell her, 'Thank you. But if you can, I don't want to see you cry for me anymore. It reminds me of the pain my family and I suffered when my mother died. So please, stay strong and don't cry...'

Footsteps were heard approaching them in the early morning. They sounded like...clogs. Alex looked in the corner of her eye and saw Mr. Hat and Clogs holding an umbrella over all of their heads with a black cat on his shoulder.

* * *

…_**Even I cried at a few certain places. *Sniffles* Anyway, I hope you liked it. If not, then I'll be sure to do a better job with the next chapter. **_

_**Ciao!**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**As we all know, Ichigo, Alex, and Uryu, weren't able to stop Rukia's leave to the Soul Society for her execution. Also, after reading over the reviews for the previous chapter, the last scene touched and made them feel teary-eyed. But that's okay, because I cried a little too. Now that that's done…**_

_**Disclaimer: Still don't own the Anime Bleach and its characters and plot! **_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 14**

_It doesn't hurt… Oh no, am I about to die? I probably don't feel pain because I'm on the verge of death. But is that right? At first my body was so cold with the bit of warmth Alex gave me, but now I feel even more of it. It's warm. _Ichigo's eyelids slowly lifted open, revealing live, brown eyes. He found the source of the heat and…let's just say that his screaming woke Alex up from her own little bed a considerate distance away from him.

The person transferring heat to Ichigo was Tessai, one of Mr. Hat and Clogs employees. "Oh. What a good reaction." He inched closer to Ichigo's freaked out and sweating face. "Quite excellent."

Ichigo used both hands to push Tessai's face away. "What the hell are you doing!?"

While he struggled to get the strange man off of him, Tessai faced in another direction. "Boss, you wanted to know the moment Ichigo woke up? Well, he's awake!"

"Wait a minute. You work for Mr. Hat and Clogs, don't you? Why are you under the covers with me? Get off!" The ex-Substitute Soul Reaper shoved Tessai off with his feet and hands. The sheets flew off him during the action. Ichigo shot a glare at the worker before feeling a shot off pain in one of his shoulders. It hit him real bad, which caused him to grab at it with a pained look. But then it hit him… _Hey, I'm not dead. Why not? _His eyes went up confusedly as they scanned the area he occupied. _What's more, this isn't my house. Where am I? _

The loud noise levels kept Alex from getting anymore sleep. So, she was forced to fully awaken and see just what was going on after rubbing her tired eyes. "What's with all the racket? I'm trying to sleep here." She said in a wearisome tone. Green eyes looked up to see that Ichigo was dressed in only a pair of reddish brown pants with bandages on his torso and lower half of his body. In a far corner, Tessai laid on the floor in a comedic form. "Ichigo? What are you…?" _That's right… I remember seeing Mr. Urahara holding an umbrella over Ichigo and I in the pouring rain. I know Ichigo blacked out, but I didn't know I did, too._

"Alex?" Ichigo turned and saw that said girl lay in a cot identical to his with bandages wrapped around her right arm and stomach. Any other injury was unknown to him, for the sheets still covered her lower body. "You were hurt?"

"Hm? Oh," she looked up to properly speak to him. "Yeah, I fought against Renji for a little but took a few scratches to my body. It hurts, but it's nothing serious. Besides, I should be worrying about you with your injuries. You lost a large amount of blood."

"…That's right. I did…" A flashback of Alex crying over Ichigo's bloodied body as she held his hand popped in his head. His eyes narrowed with slight worry and hurtfulness. "Alex…I don't want to ever see you cry for me again, at least not of sadness."

The request took Alex off guard. She didn't know what to say at first. "…I'll…I'll try not to. But, what would happen if I did?"

Hard, brown eyes stared at the brunette. "Then the one responsible for doing so will get their ass kicked by me."

"Ichigo…" She blinked in surprise at his protectiveness. _Did he really feel that bad when I cried? _

Two doors slid apart and opened by someone outside of the room. "Ichigo, you need to relax. We were barely able to patch you up." It was the owner of the building, Kisuke Urahara. From seeing his boss enter the room, Tessai hurriedly straightened himself up and sat with both legs underneath him. "If you move around too much, you'll die." He held his traditional, white fan in one hand and his can in the other.

"Is that right?" Ichigo said. Both he and Alex faced the shop owner once hearing footsteps approach them. "So, Mr. Hat and Clogs, I take it this is your house?"

"Uh-huh!" He snapped his fan closed.

The orange-haired teen took hold of the same shoulder once more. "Are you the one who saved me and Alex, huh?"

Mr. Urahara slightly bent forward. "Huh. It seems by the underlining tone of your voice, maybe you didn't want me to rescue you or your friend."

Another flashback showed Rukia near her brother while she faced away from him. But there was something else that came to Ichigo's mind. "Wait, so what happened to Uryu? I remember that he was there with us, helping me out. So is he alive?"

"I treated Uryu at the site, but then he went home. He actually did lose a considerable amount of blood but his wounds weren't as serious as yours. Even if he had just laid there for a couple of days, I don't think he would have died. So after I cleaned and dressed his wounds, he went home. When he left, he was worried about you."

"Uryu was worried? No way." Ichigo said in disbelief.

"Hold on, are you telling me that these little scratches needed bandages?" Alex put in.

"Ah, Ms. Rosewood, it's good to see that you're awake." Kisuke turned to Alex with his usual smile. "Your injuries may not have seemed so bad at first glance, but after taking a closing look at them they were pretty deep. There was blood all over your clothes as well. Were you not able to feel it?"

"Well…not really." _But I thought that my locket…Oh! Now I get it! It didn't heal my wounds. It only eased most of the pain away. No wonder why there wasn't much of a change in the openings of the cuts. _"I...guess that it didn't really bother me."

"Hm, that's interesting. By the way, Uryu wanted me to tell you 'thank you' for healing him. It actually did help stop most of the blood."

The teenage girl blinked. "Oh, well I'll be sure to let him know that I got the message. Was there anything else that he said?"

Kisuke looked up. "Well, when I asked him to consider resting here awhile so he can regain his strength…"

A scene of a previous time came to Kisuke. It was of him and a black cat on his shoulder kneeling down next to Ichigo with an umbrella covering them from the rain. Alex lay tired and barely conscious on Ichigo's back, his hand still in hers. Uryu stood on his feet while looking the other way. _"Thanks. I, uh, appreciate the offer, but…really. I-I'm fine. Please, just take care of Ichigo and Alex. Because it's apparent that if there's anyone that could defeat those guys, it certainly is not me. The only one who can save-."_

"Rukia, is you." Kisuke finished, referring to Ichigo. "So he said."

"Only me? What the hell can I do?" Ichigo scoffed at himself. His knees were propped up with arms leaning on them. He seemed lax at first but… "Don't you understand? Rukia has gone back to the Soul Society! So just how do I save her? How am _I _supposed to save her?"

The girl beside him tightened her grip on the bed sheets over her. She felt her stomach clench at the sight of Ichigo being this frustrated and defeated.

"It can't be done." Ichigo said. "I can't do it!"

"Do you really believe that? There's a way into the Soul Society." Mr. Urahara was able to grab Ichigo's attention again.

Said boy's eyes were shocked yet relieved. "There's a way? How?!" He scrambled up from his cot. "Tell me! How do I get there?"

"Of course I'll tell you." The sandy haired man held a finger up. "But on one condition."

"What's that?"

"For the next ten days, you and your friend will study with me and let me teach you how to fight properly." Kisuke explained.

"Study? You want me to waste time training with you? I don't have that kind of time, okay? Rukia is gone, and she can be executed at any second! So we gotta get to the Soul Society as quick as we can!"

Mr. Urahara laid a hand on his green and white striped hat. "Why don't you understand, huh?" With the end of his cane, he pushed Ichigo back down on his cot. As a reaction to this action, Alex brought her thick blanket up higher to cover most of her torso and mouth while sitting up. A shadowed look shaded over her eyes. During that time, Kisuke had already made his way to the other end of Ichigo's cot, kneeling on one knee as his robe moved from his speed. His cane was a mere few inches away from Ichigo's face. "Don't act so dumb. If you try to go there now, you'll die." Orange energy emitted through the cane in the form of a sword. The tip of the blade pointed itself near Ichigo's nose. His brown eyes stared at it in fright. A nervous yet quiet gulp went down his throat as the orange blade disappeared.

"You think you can beat them. You honestly believe that you're ready to fight them? I went ahead and let you try fighting them in order to prove a point. I figured you would have understood results better than words. My hope was that you would learn your lesson. With the amount of strength you have now, you won't be able to do much once you get into the Soul Society." As Kisuke spoke, Ichigo continued to stare at him with scared eyes while Alex only listened. "Right now, you are weak. And anytime a weak person attempts to enter the enemy's den, it's basically suicide." The black cat that rested on Mr. Urahara's shoulder in the rain appeared in the doorway and sat down quietly while hearing their conversation.

"So you wanna save Rukia? Don't make me laugh. If you get yourself killed, there'll be no one to blame." Once seeing Ichigo's reaction, he stood up with a tired grunt and started pacing in a random path. "The Soul Society usually has a one month waiting period before an execution. Usually, they respect their own rules." He stopped near Ichigo and Alex with his cane propped on his shoulder. "Let's hope that's the case with Rukia's execution."

Ichigo immediately sat up. "Let's hope so?"

"It's all the way different from the way humans execute someone. So that gives me about ten days to torture you and Alex." Ichigo clenched his teeth, mostly because of Alex being involved in Mr. Hat and Clogs madness. "Then seven days to open the gate to the Soul Society, and then we'll have 13 days to get there and get the job done. So we've got lots of time."

With the memory of Rukia walking into the gate to the Soul Society, "Will I become strong enough…in ten days?"

"Yes, so long as you truly wish to save Rukia from the bottom of your heart. Your will must be stronger than steel. You must abandon any doubts that you have." Kisuke looked up at Ichigo and Alex with a gray eye that belonged to a killer. "Ten days…to prepare for a game of life and death."

Ichigo rubbed the top of his head for a moment of thought. He looked up with a final answer. "Do I really have a choice?"

Mr. Urahara grinned with satisfaction before bringing his attention to the quiet girl. "What about you, Alex? Are you willing to accept my offer in helping you and Ichigo become stronger?"

A sigh left the bandaged girl. Was there really any other option for her? "Do you really need me to answer that?"

"I guess not." These two were going to be interesting students.

* * *

"Alright students, I have one more assignment for you: everyone, try to get yourselves back here in one piece in September. Class dismissed; have fun!" Ms. Ochi announced.

Everyone in the room began shuffling out of their seats to either talk to one another or head on out. Ichigo stayed seated with a glum look on his face. He felt a bit depressed, especially since no one, except for him and Alex, were able to remember Rukia. It wouldn't have been so bad if Uryu was there, but for some reason he decided to skip the last day of school. "Ichigo~!" A cheerful toned voice brought their friend out of his thoughts as a blindfold went over Ichigo's eyes. It was Keigo being…Keigo again. He lifted him up from his chair before spinning him.

"Hah! Round and round and round you go!" Once spinning him a considerable amount of times in a circle, Keigo stopped Ichigo. "Now, see if you can hit the watermelon!" A hard smack on the head from the wooden stick Ichigo used to hit Keigo was all it took to cause a fountain of blood to spurt out of his head. Being the whiner he is, Keigo cried comical tears while holding his head. "Nice try, but that was _my _melon! It's okay though, because I don't need a melon to think about anything anymore!"

"Well now, you recovered fast." Alex mumbled quietly. Her arms were crossed over her chest. The bandages were still there, even on her leg. But since she wore thigh-length socks, no one saw it. As for the injury on her arm, that was the only one that showed. For an excuse, Alex simply stated that she cut her arm while chopping up ingredients in the kitchen. They believed her, so she would leave it at that. "If only you could have gone unconscious."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that!" Keigo jabbed a finger toward his friend before returning to his cheery mood. "School's out for summer, and summer means the sea, and the sea is where we're all going, because I, Keigo Asano, have planned a trip for us to the beach!" He now wore this ridiculous vacation outfit, a beach float on his shoulder, and a red banner across his body. "Ten, fun-filled days of sunbathing, swimming, fireworks, food, and _lots _of unsupervised and unquestionable activities, right?"

"Sorry, but I'm afraid I've made other plans." Ichigo interrupted.

"I'm not too keen on the ocean either, Keigo." Orihime said.

Tatsuki followed. "I've got the national's tournament to go to."

Michiru opted out as well. "Well, if Orihime and Tatsuki aren't going…then neither am I."

"Sorry, but I have some things that I have to take care of." Chad monotonously apologized.

Alex sighed. "A trip to the beach would be nice, but I have to visit one of my relatives."

Keigo felt terrible, inside and out. No one had time to join him. To make it worse, Mizuiro put on a scuba diver mask while telling him his plans. "And I am flying to Hawaii tomorrow."

That did it. Keigo grabbed Mizuiro by the collar and shook him angrily. "What could possibly be more important than going on vacation with me, you jackass?"

"I'm going on this great trip to Hawaii with my girlfriend and nine of her friends. So that's like eleven of us!"

"Hawaii? Just you and ten other girls?" Keigo asked in an angered and comical tone. "So how'd you forget to invite me!?" He started to chase around the frightened Mizuiro as the others watched and didn't help.

A few minutes passed before all of the high school students left for home. Ichigo was a few inches away from the gates of Karakura High when Alex called out to him. "Hey, Ichigo!"

"Hm?" Ichigo looked over his shoulder to see his friend hurrying to catch up to him. "Oh, what's up Alex? How are your wounds? Are they feeling any better?"

The brunette nodded with a smile. "Yeah, but I do feel an occasional shot of pain. It's not as bad as before, so I would say that's an improvement."

Ichigo resumed to his path away from the school grounds. "That's good to hear." He expected Alex to follow him. There was something that he needed to discuss with her and her alone.

Luckily, she took the hint and walked after him. "Is there something wrong, Ichigo? You sound a little down."

"Are you really going to train with Mr. Hat and Clogs?"

Alex's eyes slightly widened at his sudden question. What was wrong with her training with him? "Yes, Ichigo, I'm actually going to train with you and Mr. Hat and Clogs. If you hadn't notice, Uryu's and your ass wasn't the only one that got whooped."

Ichigo couldn't help but to chuckle from the way she said it. "You have a point there. But how come you weren't a Soul Reaper? You probably would've had a better chance in beating them."

"I wasn't able to. I didn't have a Gikongan like you did. So, I had to fight in my human form."

"Then…how were you able to change into a Soul Reaper when we fought all of those hollows with Uryu?"

"That I still don't know yet. But I'm working on it." Her arms crossed over her chest with her bag in one hand. "Right now, I'm wondering what the connection is between my-." Alex stopped herself upon hearing another set of footsteps behind them. Both teens turned to see that it was Orihime, and she seemed a bit serious about something.

"Orihime, is something wrong?" Ichigo asked first.

The long-haired ginger went straight to the point. "Ichigo, Alex, where is Rukia?" Both were surprised and relieved to see that someone remembered her. "Why has everyone forgotten about her, like she never even existed? I need you two to explain to me about what's going on around here."

What else were they supposed to do? Just drop it and pretend that Orihime was talking nonsense? This was Ichigo and Alex's chance to tell their bubbly friend the situation at hand. They found a place to sit and talk before telling Orihime everything. It was the same place where Ichigo and Uryu first started their challenge.

"So you're saying Rukia went back to this other world she came from?" Orihime asked.

"Yeah," Ichigo said. "I gotta admit. I am surprised. I had no idea you were able to see us, Orihime. For how long?"

"Ever since the incident with my brother."

"Oh. Makes sense…"

Orihime smiled as her eyes fell to the stairs they sat on. "I don't think I've properly thanked you for everything you did to him. By guiding his spirit to the other side, he's finally in a place where all he knows is peace and happiness now. Somehow, I can just feel it!"

"Is that so?" Ichigo said. In the corner of his eye, he saw Alex fiddling with her locket. She didn't seem like she was paying attention to their conversation. Either that or the locket bothered her.

"Mhm. I imagine Rukia is happy on the other side as well. She probably has friends and family waiting for her."

A quick flashback of Byakuya came to Ichigo. He knew that Rukia wasn't having a wonderful time in the Soul Society. And he surely had to do something about it. "I have to go and bring her back."

Orihime's brow rose questionably. "But, why should you bring her back if she's happy there?" It would have been easier if she knew about the entire situation and not just a small portion of it.

A dark shade shadowed over Ichigo's eyes. "Because I know she's in serious trouble, and they might just kill her if I don't get her out in time."

A moment of dead silence passed before Orihime stood up. "Here's what the Ichigo I know would do!" She crossed her arms and imitated Ichigo's usual scowl. "He'd make a mad face and tell Rukia that she could always visit with friends and family later if she lives. But she won't have that chance if she's dead."

Alex had stopped messing with her necklace just in time to see Orihime act like Ichigo. She smiled at the silly girl and gently shook her head.

"I bet you've already made up your mind." Orihime giggled as she gave a bright smile to Ichigo.

"…You really were here. I know that." Ichigo mumbled more to himself. "You belong here, Rukia." He stood up with his bag under his shoulder. "Thanks a lot, Orihime." Ichigo ran down the rest of the steps and into the street toward who knows where.

Alex got up as well. "Orihime."

Said girl turned to her. "Hm?"

The brunette walked over to the imaginative girl and gave her a hug, making sure that she didn't suffocate her own self from the…ahem…large bosoms. "I want to thank you for being one of my first best friends ever since I moved here." She pulled back with a cheery smile. "You helped me show my true colors and allowed me to be more confident than I thought I was. And for that, I'll remember to repay whenever I can."

Being the over-reactive girl she is, Orihime became teary-eyed and gave a big squeeze to the Substitute Soul Reaper. "Awww, you're welcome, Alex! And thank you so much for being a wonderful friend with me and Tatsuki!"

"Ori…hime…I need…to breathe!" A ghost floated out of the suffocated girl's mouth.

"Sorry! I guess I don't know my own strength." She released her tight hold on Alex and helped her catch her breath.

_For once, I can agree with that statement. At least she was only showing an act of thankfulness, unlike a certain little girl. _"That's alright, Orihime. I gotta go now." She dashed down the stairs and ran in the direction Ichigo ran off to.

Orihime followed and watched after her American friend with a smile. "Huh?" She felt and saw someone else in her peripheral vision. "Chad." The muscular boy and the bubbly girl stood by one another as the other teenagers left. At the top of the stairs was a black furred feline with yellow eyes. It seems like someone was making their move.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Soul Society, Renji Abarai strolled down one of the halls inside of his barracks in a pink and white floral robe with a black obi sash. A white headband occupied his forehead now that his expensive glasses were broken. On his way to his destination, two female Soul Reapers bowed in respect. "Good morning, Lieutenant Abarai, sir." They said in unison.

"At ease." Renji replied. A short while later he stopped in front of an entrance. It had the number six written in Japanese inside of a diamond shaped symbol. He twirled something that was attached to a piece of metal before inserting it into a thin slit in the wall. The metal key glowed and granted Renji access to whatever lied behind the mighty doors.

"Wait, wait! Come back here!" A young male Soul Reaper with short black hair, three strands of it in beads, said. There was a tattoo above his left eye, showing that he admired his lieutenant. "I'm gonna get in so much trouble if they found out I let you get away!" He groaned in frustration as he failed to catch the Hell Butterfly. "I'll have to lure it back!" He left and quickly returned with a fake, yellow and pink butterfly on a bendy antenna. "Hey there, big butterfly; come here and check out _these _antennas! I'm a Pisces with double D buttercups and-."

Renji's foot planted itself on his subordinates face. It forced him to fall back on the hardwood floors. "You still can't handle Hell Butterflies?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know you were coming in today." The Soul Reaper apologized.

"I had to come in and check on the prisoner. Is she still insubordinate and difficult?"

Violet eyes moved toward the sound of Renji's voice. "I'm not insubordinate."

"If you're not insubordinate, then why do you refuse to eat?"

"Maybe I'm not that hungry. Does that bother you, Mr. Lieutenant?" Rukia said with a playful smirk. She now wore a white robe as she sat in a chair, the only piece of furniture in her cell.

"Oh, so you resent that I'm the lieutenant now, is that it? I can hear it in the tone of your voice!" Renji retorted.

Rukia continued to tick him off. "Hit a nerve I see. Well don't worry, Mr. _Officer. _Now you have the rank _and _the pompous attitude and the weird eyebrows to go with it!"

Each word that came out of Rukia's mouth angered Renji to high levels. He growled deeply before grabbing the metal bars of Rukia's cell, a vein popping out of his forehead. "How dare you mock me! I could kill you for an insult like that!"

"Tell me something… Am I really going to die, Renji?" Her voice became soft and saddened.

"Oh, absolutely! For what you did, I expect you'll be executed immediately!" Renji crossed his arms over his chest while looking down at his childhood friend.

Rukia lowered her head and closed her eyes. "Very well… I understand."

The red-headed man felt a little sorry for messing around with her like that. "What do you mean you understand? I was just kidding, Rukia! It was only a joke."

"So, which one is it, you idiot?"

"An idiot, huh? If I'm the idiot, then how come _you're _the one in the cell? You're pretty lucky Captain Kuchiki is probably pleading for clemency for you even as we speak."

Rukia kept quiet for a second, turning her head back around as her eyes met with the ground beneath her. "Well, I doubt that."

"How can you say such a thing? A man like Kuchiki would never stand by and do nothing while his own sister faces a death sentence!" Renji defended for his captain.

"You're quite correct about that. He'd rather kill me himself." Rukia said. "I know for certain, because I know full well the kind of man he is. 40 years have passed since I was taken in by the Kuchiki family. And in all those years, he has never once looked at me."

* * *

In the World of the Living, it was nighttime. The town of Karakura stood silent, save for the usually noises being heard in the late evening time. A dog barked loudly near the Urahara Shop. The store's lights were out, making it seem as if the people staying there were asleep. But what was really happening was the beginning of Ichigo and Alex's training. Down a ridiculously long ladder was an entire training ground that stretched out so far, it seemed impossible to fit under the Urahara Shop.

"No way, this place is amazing!" The shop owner shouted in fake awe. "Who would have guessed in all this time there was a huge, subterranean training ground under my store?"

"Oh forget the acting. You obviously knew that this place was down here. But I will admit it's impressive." Ichigo said. On his body was a pair of blue pants, brown shoes, and a white shirt with 'NMNL' in red and purple across his shirt.

Mr. Urahara snickered as he turned to Ichigo. "So then, you two wanna get down to business?"

"Yeah, let's just get on with it. This training session, or whatever you call it." Ichigo cleaned out his ear in a casual yet funny way.

Alex pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ichigo, you mind not doing that? I find it pretty irritating. And I guess I'm ready as well." She had on a black T-Shirt with a jaguar roaring on it with a matching, long-sleeved shirt underneath. Her lower body was covered with red capris, and her feet wore white sneakers.

"Always be careful for what you ask for, Ichigo." Mr. Urahara took his cane and jabbed it straight into Ichigo's skull, forcing his soul to leave his body. He was pushed back by the amount of force Kisuke put behind his cane and fell a far distance away from everyone. Ururu, Jinta, and Tessai were there with them, of course.

Ichigo slowly got up from the dirt ground, a chain connected to his chest and limp body. "What's the big idea of knocking me down like that you-?" He felt a bit light-headed and woozy. _What the hell? _

"It's hard to breathe when you're in the form of a soul, isn't it Ichigo?" Kisuke said. He watched as Ichigo went down to one knee from having difficulty getting any air in his system. "Right now, your Soul Sleep, which is the wellspring of your spirit energy, and your Soul Chain, the booster, have been destroyed. So now, your soul is like any other human with no spiritual power. So before we can proceed, we must first restore the spiritual power you have lost."

"Alright already, just tell me what to do!" Ichigo said impatiently.

"You're so impatient. Alright, let's bring out your opponent and then we can start. Warrior! Are you ready for battle?" He called out to Ururu in a booming voice.

The sweet little girl stood on the other side of them with protective gear being carried in her skirt. "Nice to see you again, Ichigo."

"Huh?" Said boy didn't understand why he was going to fight her.

"Here's your first lesson: you must go up against Ururu one on one. The rules are quite simple. Lesson one is over when one of you is no longer able to continue with the match. If you can, I suggest going for the knockout punch." Mr. Urahara explained.

Ichigo faced Mr. Hat and Clogs with an expression of disbelief. "Are you kidding? You expect me to punch a little girl?"

"It's always dangerous to underestimate one's opponent, Ichigo." Mr. Hat and clogs warned him.

White head gear and gloves were thrown in front of Ichigo. He looked up and saw that Ururu was already prepared to fight. "Please put on all of this protective gear, Ichigo. I don't wanna kill you." She threw a straight punch forward in an adorable fashion.

"This whole thing is ridiculous. I'm not fighting her." There are times when Ichigo really should listen to the things people tell him ahead of time.

"Ichigo, quit being a dumbass and put on the gear!" Alex yelled at him. "If you don't, you're gonna regret it."

"Like hell I'm gonna regret it! If I said I'm not going to fight a little girl, then I'm not gonna!"

In a split second, the so called 'little girl' ran as fast as lighting toward Ichigo. She slowed down at first then attacked, causing a huge cloud of dust to form in the area she threw her punch at. Ururu flew in the air for a moment and came back down with ease.

Mr. Urahara had his fan open, covering his smirking lips. "We tried to warn him, didn't we?"

"Where'd he go? I don't see him anymore." Jinta asked.

"Do you suppose he's dead?" Tessai suggested.

"Hard to say." Kisuke said.

"I bet he'll come flying out of the dust." Alex said.

Just as she predicted, the orange-haired boy tumbled in big loops before plopping down on the hard ground. "Whadda ya know? She was right." Jinta said.

Ichigo sat up and then ran toward Ururu. "It looks like he's going after her." Tessai said. It seemed like it was the case at first. But as soon as Ichigo had gotten close enough, he kept running away from her. Alex slapped a hand over her forehead at him.

"Hey, he just ran right pass her!" Jinta stated.

While running ahead, Ichigo grabbed his gear. "If little Miss Muffin hits me with another punch like that, I'll be taking a long dirt nap. Hat and Clogs! How do I put this gear on anyways?"

"Strap the headgear onto your head, Ichigo!" Kisuke demonstrated it.

Ichigo skidded to a stop and placed the gear across his forehead. "Like this?"

"That's right! Now yell as loud as you can: Amazing Headband of Justice in place! Amazing Armor of Justice protect me now! Go on, say it!"

"The Amazing Headband of…what?" He slammed the headgear onto the floor. "That's just stupid!" A sound of a torpedo brought his attention to the still active Ururu. She was aiming for his head but missed when he took the gear and ran for his life. More dust had flown up from the rocky earth.

"Interesting how the fear of eminent death can change one's mind."

Alex tapped Kisuke on the shoulder to gain his attention. "Hey, why is it that you haven't pushed my soul out of my body?"

"Simple: it's because you still have your spiritual power. So you're exempted from the first lesson."

"Are you serious? Alright, I get to sit back and watch as Ichigo gets his ass handed to him by Ururu." Alex folded her arms behind her head in contempt.

A vein throbbed over Ichigo's head. "What?! Oh, come on! That's so not fair! She deserves to suffer the way I am!" Ichigo yelled while running away from the strong child.

"Shut up!" Alex retorted. "And say the damn command for the protective gear so your ass doesn't get killed!"

After another attack from Ururu was barely dodged, "Alright, I'll say it!" Once again, Ichigo put the headband on his forehead. "Here goes nothing! Amazing Headband of Justice in place! Amazing Armor of Justice protect me now!"

"Oh, what do you know? I can't believe he actually said it." Mr. Urahara said under his fan.

"What!?" Ichigo yelled. "You're gonna pay for that!"

"Look out behind you."

Ichigo turned and spotted Ururu heading towards him. "Oh, great!" He hurriedly tried the headband on once more, and this time it actually worked. Both his headgear and gloves snapped into place. Ichigo was now ready to fight against Ururu. "Alright, bring it!" He asked for it.

His opponent dived forward and landed another punch into the ground, for Ichigo dodged her attack yet again. He was already dashing away with the small girl on his tail. "Amazing Armor of Justice my ass! More like Armor of Junk! Running for my life is the only thing that's _saving _my life." _Wait a minute! If I'm out-running her, it must mean my speed has returned! And that means… Maybe I could dodge her punches! _He skidded to a halt and spun on his heel to face off Ururu. "Here goes."

Alex perked up with interest at Ichigo's change of action. _Is he planning on fighting her? This should be good. _

Ichigo waited for the strong girl to throw a punch. Once she did, he swiftly moved his head out of the way, impressing both Jinta and Alex. "Whoa." They both said at once. Kisuke and Tessai chuckled seeing the lesson was working.

_I can do it._ It was Ichigo's turn to throw multiple punches. There weren't as effective as Ururu's, but at least he'll be able to get this lesson done and over with. _I won't aim for her face. I'll just tap her on the headgear and make her back off. And because of my size, I can-. _One of his hands missed her but left a scratch on her cheek. _Oh, damn! I cut her! _

In response to a very small portion of her blood being shed, Ururu's eyes shrunk, and the color in them darkened. Ichigo stared in fright at what he'd done. A small, sandal covered foot, planted itself on his arm while the other stretched back and swung forward, making contact with Ichigo's face. The force of Ururu's attack forced Ichigo back, making a trail of dust to fly around into the air. He landed into an enormous rock wall but was saved by Tessai.

The sweet and shy little girl returned back to her normal self and looked at the damage she had caused. Kisuke held her foot with his fan in the other hand. "Safe!"

"Ichigo!" Alex hurried to where Ichigo and Tessai were, worried about her friend. The dust dispersed and revealed Ichigo and Tessai sitting in front of a hole in the rock wall. She went down on both knees and checked for any severe injuries. "Are you okay?"

Ichigo winced in slight pain, but he would be alright. He looked behind him and realized the muscular man with the mustache was there. "Hey!" He turned to Alex with a scowl. "Yeah, I'm fine." He stood up and faced Mr. Hat and Clogs. "Give me one more crack at her, please!"

"Congratulations. I announce lesson one: cleared."

A confused Ichigo stared at the store owner. "What the hell are you talking about? She kicked my ass just now-don't even say it!" He noticed Alex getting ready to say something about her statement from before and stopped her short. Once seeing that she wasn't going to try it, Ichigo turned back to Mr. Urahara. "I lost."

"I never said anything about you actually having to _win _the fight in order for you to clear the lesson, did I?"

"I thought…"

Kisuke continued. "The fact is, Ichigo, Ururu has the fighting skills to counter even full-fledged Soul Reapers. A mere human would never have a chance of defeating her outright. By the way, are you still having difficulty breathing?"

"No, now that you mention it…" Ichigo checked and felt that his breathing was indeed perfectly fine.

"Which means that we've successfully restored your spirit energy. The entire point of that lesson was to determine in a one-shot battle whether or not you could dodge Ururu's first attack. Spirit energy increases a lot faster when the soul is in danger of being destroyed. We just needed to find out if you'd be able to raise yours fast enough to dodge that fatal punch."

"And if I hadn't succeeded?" Ichigo asked in curiosity.

"You would have died." Kisuke said casually.

But Ichigo obviously didn't take this in such a casual manner. "Why the hell didn't you say so in the first place?!"

Mr. Urahara looked up with a smile. "I wasn't worried about it. I had faith that you'd be successful."

Ichigo was surprised to hear Mr. Hat and Clogs to say that. _He had faith in me? Huh… I wonder if Alex feels the same way, too… Nah, she probably wanted to see me get my ass whooped for her entertainment. _

"Well, so far so good. Now then, let's celebrate the return of your spirit energy, shall we?" Out of nowhere, Tessai brought down a huge axe and severed Ichigo's chain. "Now let's continue with your second lesson."

* * *

"Lessons?" Orihime asked.

"You'll need them if you want to learn more." The black cat, Yoruichi, said.

"I suppose I do. But this all seems so sudden." Orihime was with Chad as they faced the talking feline.

"Plus, it's a little weird dealing with a…talking cat." Chad said, still a pretty uncomfortable with the whole situation.

Orihime turned to the tall man. "You think so?"

"Hmph… Your friend Ichigo is preparing to go to the Soul Society. And I believe Alex is training along with him as well. If you also want to learn to use the new powers awakening inside of you, then you will have to agree to take my lessons. After that, the choice will be yours: whether you want to go, or not."

A short moment of silence lingered around them. Chad spoke with his final answer. "Well, I'm going to go."

"Are you really? Aren't you scared?" Orihime's gray eyes lowered to the gravel ground. "I am."

"Mhm." Chad nodded in agreement.

Yoruichi looked back at the two. "I won't force you."

After a little more thinking over, Orihime decided to try the lessons. "Mhm."

In a far off place in the woods was Uryu. He too needed to train himself in order to become stronger than he is now. Where he was had a rushing yet soothing waterfall flow off of a wall of boulders and pour into a small lake of sparkling water. _Excellent. This the perfect place for me to train in complete solitude. _He thought with a satisfied smile.

"There he is. We've found him!" A familiar voice announced.

Uryu turned to see exactly who it was that found him in the secluded area. It was Orihime and Chad, and it seemed like they had a black cat accompanying them.

"Hi, Uryu! Whacha doing?" Orihime giggled while one foot climbed over a rock. She waved as the cat and Chad walked behind her.

"I can ask you the same question, Orihime." Uryu adjusted his glasses as he went over to the two classmates. "So how did the two of you find me?"

"Yoruichi." Orihime answered. "He just followed your aura, and it led us right to you."

"Yoruichi?" Uryu said. He wondered who this Yoruichi character could be. Was it someone that could see spirits just as he and Ichigo could?

Orihime saw the duffle bag, thinking that Uryu planned on camping outdoors. "Did you come out here to go camping?"

The dark-haired Quincy pushed his glasses on the ridge of his nose. "Not exactly…"

"You're training, aren't you?"

"Huh? Who said that?" Uryu demanded with his fists up. He searched left and right for the owner of the unknown voice but found no one. _That's strange. I could've sworn that-._

"It was me," the black cat answered. "I'm right over here." It fanned its paw while the tail came up. When Uryu finally faced the cat, "I'm Yoruichi."

Uryu screamed out of fright from discovering the identity of Yoruichi. "A talking cat, no way!" He trembled and continued to stare in disbelief at the feline. _I must be daydreaming! There is absolutely no possibly way for a cat to have the ability of speech!_

"What? You've never seen a talking cat before? Honestly, you're such a wimp." Yoruichi said, not really understanding these humans' reactions about a talking feline.

Orihime agreed with Yoruichi. "You _are _making kind of a fuss Uryu. What's the big deal?"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Uryu, I'm having a little trouble with a talking cat myself." Chad admitted, small beads of sweat rolling down the side of his face.

"Some humans have so much trouble adjusting to the unexpected, especially the males."

Up until then, Uryu was in a frozen pose of fright after finding out about the talking cat. He soon regained his composure and adjusted his glasses. "Excuse me. Why did you come here anyway?"

"Actually…" Orihime started.

The four of them sat down before they told Uryu all of what was happening so far, catching him up to date. "Ichigo is planning on going to the Soul Society?"

"Yes. He's going to go there to try and rescue Rukia. We'd thought you'd want to know so that you can help him, too." Orihime said.

"What Ichigo does has nothing to do with me." Uryu retorted rather coldly.

The large chested girl felt a little stung by his words. "But, what about Rukia? Her life is in danger!"

"You're forgetting that I'm a Quincy. And the whole reason I'm out here training is that I'm angry I lost to a Soul Reaper. Rukia doesn't mean anything to me." Uryu deadpanned.

Orihime was saddened at the way he said that Rukia meant nothing to him. She didn't say another word, nor did the other males. A dead silence, save for the rushing waterfall, lingered over the three humans and talking feline. A few seconds passed before Orihime broke the silence. "Too bad… But I understand you're only doing what you think is best, Uryu!" She stood up from her rock, hands folded over the other behind her back. "It's completely confusing to me at this point, but I'm going to keep on listening and try to learn all I can about these changes that are happening. It's a little scary having these powers awakening inside me. But I want to know what I can do with them."

Uryu, Chad, and Yoruichi gave Orihime their undivided attention. It wasn't until she stopped that they decided to take their leave and allow Uryu to begin his training. "Be careful, Uryu!" Orihime waved to the Quincy before walking off with the rest of her companions.

_Sorry to let you down, Orihime, but this training is too important. _Uryu thought as he walked over to a sealed box. _I can't let anyone see what I am about to do. _He snapped the seal off, carefully removing the lid off of the box. _Please watch over me, Sensei. _A palish blue light shined from the wooden container, engulfing Uryu as it reflected off of his lens.

* * *

"I feel like I'm…I'm dying!" Ichigo had trouble speaking, especially with Tessai sitting on his back.

"That's because you are." Kisuke said while fanning himself. "You see, once the Chain of Fate has been severed, you can no longer return to your physical body. Death comes quickly." He snapped his fan shut.

"Do you have to be so casual about it?" Ichigo growled through his teeth.

"That's not even the worst of it. Your chain will begin the encroachment where it was severed. When the end reaches your chest, you will become a Hollow, and that would be the end of you."

Alex had a look of utter worry written all over her face. This was something that scared her. What's even worse is that her memories have been coming and going as they please. She couldn't control them, and Bobo hasn't the slightest idea as to what was going on. _It would have been a relief if I just use my last wish to have my memories back. But that would probably be a waste since I'm gonna be the cause of a few changes in the series. So there's no point in doing anything about it. _She sighed mentally with her eyes closed. Her eyes looked back up at the struggling Ichigo and the lax store owner.

"What do I have to do?" Ichigo asked.

Mr. Urahara pointed his fan directly at Ichigo. "If you don't want to become a Hollow, then you must become a Soul Reaper."

At first, the orange headed teen was a little confused. Actually, he _was _confused. How in the world was he able to become a Soul Reaper and not a Hollow?

"If you manage to clear lesson two, you will find that in the process that you have regained your former powers as a Soul Reaper. Of course, which path you choose is up to you." Mr. Hat and Clogs laughed weirdly.

Ichigo stopped worrying and grinned up at the sandy haired man. "As if you even needed to ask."

Mr. Urahara mirrored Ichigo and returned the grin. "Alright then; let's get this party started."

"I have a bad feeling about this." Alex said, gripping onto the sleeves of her shirt.

"What are you worrying about? Doesn't seem as complicated as I thought it would be. This will be a piece of cake." Ichigo said to Alex, a reassuring grin on his features.

Without another word being said, Kisuke pointed his fan in another direction. In a loud, echoing voice, "Go!" The ground beneath Ichigo and Tessai disappeared, forcing them to drop to the bottom.

Ichigo's face expression switched from confident to a scared as hell one. All the way down, the others were able to hear him screaming for dear life. Kisuke, Ururu, and Jinta, all went toward the near edge of the enormous hole. "Well, what do you think of that? We really suckered him that time, didn't we?"

"Yeah, good one." Jinta said.

"That's one deep hole, Ururu."

The shovel was still in her possession. "I do my best." Said girl lifted an arm up, showing that she indeed had the strength and time to complete the task.

Alex joined them and stretched her neck to see down below, making sure that she doesn't fall in by accident. "I sure hope he's going to be alright." She said with a semi-blank face.

A thump was heard at the bottom of the hole. Ichigo coughed up dirt that somehow got in his mouth on the way down. He felt a bit of pain in his arms for some odd reason. "What the hell have you…done to me?" He opened his eyes only to see that his arms were bound in a sort of metal or fabric type of material. They formed "X"s with squares sticking out.

"Bakudo 99 part 1 restrict." Tessai said in a faraway corner. "No doubt you'd think it rather harsher. Until you have cleared this lesson, your arms must unfortunately remain bound, Ichigo."

Ichigo found a way to stand up on his knees with a bit of difficulty. "Why you…!"

"Ichigo!" Kisuke called down from the top.

"Huh?" He looked up at the sound of someone calling his voice.

"Start climbing back up to the shaft, Ichigo. That's all there is to this lesson, otherwise known as the Shattered Shaft." His fanned was snapped open once again.

"Yeah, that'll work with my arms tied around my back!" Ichigo said, sarcasm dripping off of every word.

"I wouldn't waste time arguing about it if I were you." Mr. Urahara said.

Ichigo's attention came back down just in time to the end of his chain links eating itself alive. The scene was so horrific that it forced him to scream in sheer terror. At the top of the shaft, Alex held her hand over her mouth to hold back her own sounds of fright.

Mr. Hat and Clogs began to explain the procedure of lesson two. "You have a period of 72 hours at the bottom of Shattered Shaft, Ichigo. That is how long it will take for the Chain of Fate to be completely encroached. By the end of that time, if you have not returned to the top of the shaft as a Soul Reaper, then we will have no choice, Ichigo, but to kill you."

Ichigo stared at Mr. Urahara with fear shown all over his face. He wasn't the only one. Alex, the only Substitute Soul Reaper at the moment, plopped down on her behind from the thought of Ichigo being killed by Mr. Urahara.

Said man walked up to her with a smile on his face. "Seeing that you already have spirit energy, Alex, I believe that I should begin your own version of lesson 2."

* * *

_**Okay, I realize that I'm pretty darn late on this update, but I had a lot of school work to take care of. I'll try to see if the next one will be up in a few days or so. Until then, **_

_**See you next time!**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Updates are going to be posted whenever I have time to. They may be a week , a week and a half, or just a few days late.**_

_**Disclaimer: Still don't own Bleach :P**_

_**Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Chapter 15**

"May I have your attention, please?" Kisuke shouted from the top of the large hole opening, grabbing Ichigo's attention. "You have a period of 72 hours at the bottom of Shattered Shaft, Ichigo. That is how long it will take for the Chain of Fate to be completely encroached. By the end of that time, if you have not returned to the top of the shaft as a Soul Reaper, then we will have no choice, Ichigo, but to kill you."

"Bastard," Ichigo growled. "So you intend to kill me?" He yelled as he glared at the lax man.

"That's right, I do. Once you have given up." Mr. Urahara then turned to Alex with a smile. "And as for you, Alex, I believe you should experience your own version of Lesson 2."

The frightened girl stared at the shop owner with trembling green eyes. She was still thinking about Mr. Urahara actually killing Ichigo. It was just insane! _Why train him if you're going to kill him in the end? _"You're…going to teach me my own version of Lesson 2?" Alex asked, coming out of her thoughts.

"Uh-huh. You see, since you already have Soul Reaper powers of your own, there's no need for you to go through Shattered Shaft. Unless, you decide to change your mind and-."

"Hell no!" Alex quickly answered. "There is absolutely no way I'm gonna risk my life just to go down in some shaft and try to climb a super steep wall! I'd rather go with my own Lesson 2." She stood up from the ground before crossing her arms over her chest. "Let's just get it over with."

Kisuke smirked while he held his hat. "You two are so impatient. Can't you ever think about the consequences of making decisions before acting?" In an instant, he took the end of his cane and jabbed it right into a surprised Alex's forehead. Once she left her body, it became limp and fell to the rocky floor. The Soul form of Alex was sent flying a few yards away, only this time she stopped herself and stayed on her feet unlike Ichigo.

"Don't you ever give us a friggin' warning?!" Alex yelled with a shaking fist. She looked down at herself and noticed that she was indeed a Substitute Soul Reaper once more. "Huh… I still have on the same clothes like the last time, too…" Alex reached for her Zanpakuto as it rested in the light purple sheath being held horizontally by the white obi sash tied in the back as a bow. She looked closely at the tsuba of her sword. _I see a few music notes spread out and flowers near each edge of the rhombus. But what kind of flower is that? It has five petals, but I just can't place a name to the way it looks…_

"Is something the matter, Ms. Rosewood?" Mr. Urahara asked playfully.

Alex looked up from the black and silver blade's tsuba. "No. Not at all," she answered. "I was just…wondering what type of flower was on the guard of my sword is all."

"The type of flower, you say?" He took out his fan while walking over to the still wondering girl. "I don't think you can actually tell what type it is, seeing that there's no color to it. Why not put that thought aside for later and focus more on your opponent?"

"My opponent? So does that mean I'm fighting that Jinta kid?" Alex fully faced Kisuke with a somewhat confused expression.

Mr. Hat and Clogs chuckled. "Of course not! Try guessing again."

"Hey! I can beat Ms. Sarcasm any time of day!" Jinta yelled from his spot.

The teen's face went pale at her second guess. "You don't mean…" she gulped," Ururu, do you?"

"Boy that would definitely be fun to watch!" He laughed while fanning himself. "But no, Ururu won't be going up against you this time."

"Yeah, '_this _time'."

A serious look in his steel eyes made Alex jump back. "Have you already forgotten about me? I _am _the one giving you the lesson. Plus, I am also the one who came up with this entire thing, so it would only be fair that I have some fun torturing you and Ichigo, am I right?"

Shivers went down Alex's spine in horror of hearing Mr. Urahara talk like that. "Torturing?"

"That's right." Mr. Urahara said.

The brown-haired girl gulped one last time. _I'm not ready to die yet! _Her entire body trembled in a laughable manner.

"Relax. I'm not going to use a sword of my own or anything. I'm just going to test some of your combat abilities." Kisuke patted Alex on the head to calm her nerves.

"Really? Oh, well, in that case, I guess it wouldn't be so bad-."

Without letting another second go by, Mr. Hat and Clogs used his fan to jab it straight into the unexpected girl's abdomen. "You should never let your guard down, Alex."

The color in her eyes became paler than her usually, lively green. Her upper body slowly fell forward, leaning against Kisuke's arm. She couldn't speak at first from the immense pain he inflicted on her. But after a couple of minutes, "What…what the hell did you do?"

"Simple: all I did was hit a certain point near your stomach, forcing that area to experience a shocking jolt of pain. You didn't know that your weakness was there this entire time?" Mr. Urahara asked with a smug smirk on his features.

Alex had to put in a lot of strength just look up at him, let alone talk. "M…My weakness…is in my abdomen?"

"Not just your abdomen, but all over your body." Kisuke went on to explain further. "You see, everyone has pressure points hidden throughout their body. Each one has a certain effect to that person's being, resulting in either pain, paralysis, and so on. Would you like for me to teach you how to find them and which ones would deal the most damage to your opponent's body?" He gently and carefully removed his fan from Alex's stomach and helped her straighten up. "You're still going to feel a tingling pain in your stomach for a little longer, but it'll eventually go away."

"You know," the brunette's voice sounded less hoarse than before, "I can understand why Ichigo wants to kick your ass so badly. And since he's hundreds of feet deep inside of a hole, I'll just have to do it for him myself." Alex said, her lips forming into a thin smirk.

Beads of comical sweat dropped behind Mr. Urahara's head. He held his hands up to show no harm. "Hey, Alex, we can work this out, right? I mean, it was only a near fatal pressure point. It's nothing too bad."

"Near fatal my ass! You expect me to go on with this training if it means putting my life in danger?" Alex said while bringing a balled fist up to near his face.

"Well, when you put it that way, it does sound a little bad." Mr. Urahara admitted.

A large vein throbbed over Alex's head. "A _little_?! That's it!" She threw and aimed a punch toward the shop owner's head. But somehow, she missed and saw nothing but empty space in front of her. "Where'd he...?"

"Never let your eyes off of your opponent!" A cheery and playful man said from behind Alex.

"Huh?!" She turned around to see that he was able to make it all the way over to the top of a nearby boulder. "How did you...do that?"

Mr. Urahara smirked as he hopped down from the large rock. "I only dodged your attack and made you temporarily confused. It's pretty easy if you know what you're doing."

"But...oh, you've got to be kidding me! And I thought we were supposed to be discussing the pressure points in a person's body?!" Alex shouted at him. A bit of steam shot out of the impatient girl's ears.

The lax shop owner fanned his hand at her to calm down. "Take it easy. There's no need for you to worry about it at the moment. I did say that I wanted to test your combat abilities, did I not?"

"Well...yeah, you did."

"Which is exactly what I'm doing right now. But I must say that your skills needs some work." Mr. Hat and Clogs started fanning himself.

Another vein throbbed over the annoyed brunette's head. "And you can bet your ass that you're gonna be my practice dummy!" She brought her hands up as they tightened into small fists.

* * *

Outside of the shop in a currently deserted construction, Orihime and Chad were in the process of training with Yoruichi. However…

"You're both completely hopeless." Yoruichi deadpanned with a sweat drop rolling down his head. He had enough of those two straining themselves just to use the power within them. It's best to have stopped it now than to allow them to continue any longer. "At this rate, I'll never been able to let you into the Soul Society."

"Wait, that's not fair!" Orihime complained.

"Quit it; stop whining. Unless you are able to activate your powers at will, you will die, like a dog, in the Soul Society. Do you understand me?" Yoruichi continued without hearing their confirmation of understanding. He decided to give them a little hint or a boost in order to help quicken the process. "It's not that hard. Just remember the first time you used your powers and retrace those steps."

"Well, that's easier said than done. I was so desperate that first time." Orihime said.

"What were you so desperate about?" Yoruichi asked.

"Huh?"

"Think about it this way: a person picks up a sword when he is trying to protect something. Perhaps it's your life or social status; maybe a reputation, a loved one, or personal beliefs. The motives may be completely different, but in the end, it is the same desire to protect something. Think back; what were you trying to protect when you first called upon your powers?"

Both Chad and Orihime began to think about their protected item or person.

"Let's see." Orihime said as she crossed her arms under her chest.

"Hmm…" Chad said aloud. _I was…I was trying to protect Ichigo's little sister. _A cloud appeared above his head to help visualize his thoughts. In that cloud was Karin, but her eyes were shadowed and barely visible. To help him remember what she looked like, Chad tried saying the things that made up her appearance. _A red cap, long hair, and since she's Ichigo's sister, she looks like him, but she's still a girl. _Once putting it all together, it only made things a whole lot worse for poor Chad. Hundreds of beads of sweat rolled down his face at the failed attempt of imaging Ichigo's sister. He held back a sick feeling in his stomach by holding one of his hands to his mouth.

Yoruichi and Orihime stared at Chad from his sudden action, wondering what had forced him to become sick in the first place. But then again, it's probably best they didn't know. "It seems you failed to remember." Yoruichi sweat dropped before turning to Orihime. "And what about you?"

"Well, I… Hm…" She tried picturing the memory in her head but started off with a silly cartoon image of the hollow she fought against. Orihime closed her eyes to help her think. "I, uh… At that time…" Soon, everything came back to her, and the events of that afternoon replayed in her head. _I was so desperate... So desperate..._

"It shined." Chad pointed out as he saw Orihime's hairpin shine off a glint of light.

Orihime opened her eyes with excitement. "Really?" The entire pair of hairpins shined an orange light, expanding outwards as they came apart. Six little fairies popped up out from smoke one by one above the bubbly ginger's head. "Hey, guys!" Orihime giggled happily as she saw her little friends once again.

"You summoned?" A small fairy with yellow wings on her back said. She wore red and had blonde hair held up in a high ponytail. "If you ever need us, don't hesitate. Just call on us for help."

Another fairy covered in black and red with a beige colored scarf around his neck and over his mouth landed a hard kick to the girl's back. "By considering the situation, for what possible reason would you need _our _help?"

"'Cause that's our job." The blond fairy said. She held onto her back from the pain the other one gave her.

Orihime laughed sheepishly behind them. "I'm sorry. I was remembering all sorts of things, and then-." Sadly, the tough fairy didn't let her finish with the kick he gave to her head.

"You weren't even in danger, and yet you called for us, you terrible, little hussy?!" The mean fairy started tugging on Orihime's hair as another one with red wings having a yellow outline, who seemed to be more quiet than the others, held on to the top of her head.

"Tsubaki, you stop that right now!" A female spirit wearing a bathing suit and yellow goggles yelled at the one known as Tsubaki.

"Shut up! Can't you see I'm pissed off?" Tsubaki continued to harm Orihime as she whined in pained. He began chasing her around the area once she tried running away.

The blonde haired spirit had her hands on her hips as the other two male spirits watched. "Tsubaki stop chasing her!" She scolded. She frowned once seeing that he didn't listen.

"Oh, dear me, he's on a terrible rampage!" One of the males said. He held his hands one over the other on his chest. A form of glass spectacle was attached to his left eye.

"Sometimes, Tsubaki is so rough!" A big fairy said as he sat crossed legged.

Yoruichi stared at the comedic scene with a somewhat blank face. "Well done, Orihime. Although, it seems to me that you're going to need a bit more practice when it comes to taming your own power. What about you? Any luck yet?" He asked, referring to Chad. "Tell me: why _are _you going to the Soul Society?"

* * *

Back down at the bottom of Shattered Shaft, Ichigo's Chain of Fate had seized to its chewing and fell down to rest. _The fifth encroachment had just ended. There seems to be a cycle to all this. First, they start chomping, and then they fall asleep. During these periods of encroachment, I can hardly move. The chains…are so painful. _He lifted himself up with a bit of struggle. _So if I'm gonna move, it'll have to be while they're sleeping!_ He got up on his feet and ran towards the steep, rocky walls of the shaft. Ichigo started off to a great start and was doing well. But one slip of his foot sent him falling straight down to the where he was.

Mr. Urahara, Jinta, and Ururu were watching him from the opening, bored looks plastering their faces. "It makes no sense as to what he's doing, but he's still managing to climb up a practically straight wall! For a human, this guy sure takes chances."

"Ahh, you don't say?" Kisuke said.

"Idiot." Ururu deadpanned, indicating towards Ichigo's effort of trying to actually climb up the wall.

While they talked about Ichigo, said boy was panting heavily as he lay on his back. "Dammit."

"Hey! Are you getting hungry down there yet?" Jinta called out from above.

"No, I'm not hungry, yet!" Ichigo retorted with his own vein throbbing on his temple. "Besides, jerk, I'm in my soul form! Why the hell would I be hungry?"

The little boy grinned mischievously. "Well, that's great to hear, 'cause I'll let you in on a little secret. If you're in soul form and then start to get hungry, it's a dangerous sign. It means you're just one step away from being a Hollow."

Alex eavesdropped on Jinta and Ichigo's conversation. She was resting from her Lesson 2 with Kisuke. So far, her fighting skills have somewhat improved. Plus, he taught her tons of way to put someone to sleep or inflict pain to one's body, and so much more by using their pressure points. The only downside of it was that if she were to wonder how it worked, he would demonstrate it on her, depending on the intensity pain. She carefully stood up and walked toward the shaft.

"It's okay to feel thirsty though. Oh, if you get thirsty, go ahead and drink my spit!" Jinta said.

"Why you little…!" A flashing sign appeared above Ichigo's head as his irritation toward Jinta increased.

As for the 'drink his spit' offer, Jinta was way ahead of him. A long drop of his saliva hanged from his mouth. "Come on, Ururu. Get over here! You can do it, too."

"Okay." Ururu laid down near the hole and drooled out some of her spit without letting it fall.

Alex turned away in disgust at their ridiculousness. "Honestly, even I don't go so far to kid around." She heard Ichigo's ranting and looked from the corner of her eye.

"Come down here and try that, you brats!" He then started to panic, seeing that they might actually spit on him. "Stop drooling! Cut it out! Stop it, or I'll beat the crap out of ya! Hey! I'm not kidding!"

Mr. Urahara took a bite out of an apple a short distance away. He wondered what the time was by now.

Also thinking of the same thing, Alex tried to figure out how long it has been since coming down here. _I wonder if Rosa and my parents are worried about me… Well, I guess they shouldn't be, since I told them that I was spending the break with Orihime and Tatsuki. But even so, what if there's a Hollow and I'm not there to kill it? Everyone else is probably training by now, so they're pretty busy at the moment. _Her green irises shifted to the bounded boy in the shaft. _Did he mean to say all the things he said before? _

"Alright, break-time's over, Alex! Let's continue with Lesson 2." Mr. Urahara announced as he clapped his hands.

"…Could we maybe finish it after Ichigo is done with his? I wanna be sure that he comes out alive and as a Soul Reaper…" Alex requested. Her arms were folded over the other on top of her stomach. A near blank yet worried expression showing on her light face.

Mr. Urahara tipped his hat toward Alex with a smile. "Are you sure? You might miss out on a few things."

Alex gently shook her head. "That's fine."

"Well, alright. I guess we can wait." Mr. Urahara took out his traditional fan and began waving it near his face.

* * *

A significant amount of time has passed the last time Alex checked. Well, she didn't exactly go up the ridiculously long ladder to see what time it was or how many hours have passed. But it sure did feel like it's been a while. By now, she sat down near Shattered Shaft with her knees propped up while she leaned on her hands for support. A tired sigh left the Substitute Soul Reaper from the long time she waited patiently.

Mr. Urahara threw aside yet another finished apple into a pile that grew overtime. He swallowed the last bite before wiping the apple juice off of his lips with his thumb. "I wonder if it's dark outside. In this room, it's difficult to tell the time of day."

Meanwhile, Ichigo hasn't had any luck whatsoever in reaching to the top of the shaft. _Dammit, I can't climb out. _He turned his head to look up. _How much time has passed? I can't tell… How can I climb out of this place? _Ichigo was getting tired and out of breath. For how long would this continue? "Huh?"

From the hole of light at the top of Shattered Shaft, a shadowed figure caught his eye. He wondered who it would be and kept an eye on that person. They eventually came all the way down to the bottom, revealing it to only be Jinta carrying a platter of fruit.

"Thought I'd bring you a little food down here. I'd figured you'd be feeling pretty hungry right about now." The red-haired boy said.

Ichigo let out a short laugh. "You must be nuts. I'm not getting hungry at all." He looked down at the Chain of Fate attached to his chest. "Take a good look. The way I see it, there's still quite a few links to the Chain of Fate." Ichigo faced Jinta with a toothy grin. He wouldn't let the little boy scare him no matter what. He was going to get out of this hole one way or another.

The grin on Jinta's face disappeared. "Well, it can't be helped. You'll find you lose track of time in a place like this."

"Time?" Ichigo asked as his own grin faded away.

Jinta set the plate of food down in front of him. "You know, you've been down here for over 70 hours, and I'm just thinking: some of the other souls started turning into Hollows by now. Oh, and uh, one more thing: the final encroachment… it's nothing like the other ones." Jinta's tone became dark-like as he spoke. Once seeing Ichigo's expression, he began climbing back up to the top.

Ichigo stared at the stone wall ahead of him with sweat dripping down the side of his head. And right after Jinta said it, the final encroachment commenced, and it was absolutely nothing like the others. All of the chains had hungry mouths appear, already nomming on the remaining links connected to Ichigo's chest. "The chains…no way! Stop, all of you! Stop!" But his pleads didn't help prevent the chains from eating away the bit of hope he had left. They ate and ate until the entire chain connected to the base shattered into the air, leaving an empty, black hole in Ichigo's chest.

The next thing that happened seemed entirely horrific to those who weren't familiar with the process. A white, paint-like substance came out of his eyes before more of it shot out and began forming a mask on his face. The top right corner of it was already forming into place. His loud screaming could be heard from above as a fierce current of dirt and dust picked up around him.

"Alright, looks he's becoming a Hollow after all." Jinta said as he finally reached the top.

Ururu stared down at the bottom for a moment and made a final decision. "I've got to help. It's time I rescued him."

"Hold it."

The little girl turned around to see her boss. "Mr. Kisuke."

"Watch him closely; nothing more." Mr. Urahara said. "Usually when a Whole becomes a Hollow, first the spiritual body explodes and reforms. But in his case, the order is all mixed up. The mask is being created while the body is still a Whole. This is a sign that he is resisting."

Alex had been listening and watching everything the entire time, from the moment Ichigo's Chain of Fate diminished completely, to the horrifying scene she is witnessing right now. She held her hands over her mouth to hold in the screams threatening to escape. _Ichigo…. Please hold on._

The shop owner continued. "There is still a strong possibility that in time he will become a Soul Reaper. So let's watch a while and see. If indeed he truly becomes a Hollow…. Just a little longer." He couldn't even finish the previous sentence, which made Jinta and Ururu a little worried. Alex on the other hand was scared for her life.

Her spade-shaped locket seemed like it was acting up for some odd reason. It shook fiercely in a haywire kind of way. Instead of the blue light, it shined a more…dark violet one. "Huh?" Alex said in a soft whisper. The next thing she knew, her vision became blurred, and something felt as if it were coming out of her eyes. "What the…hell?" The same white substance that was forming Ichigo's mask shot out of Alex's frightened, green eyes.

Jinta and Ururu whipped their heads to see the same thing going on with Ichigo was happening to his sarcastic friend. "Oh no, Alex!" Ururu called out in her soft voice. She and Jinta were about to run and help her, but Mr. Urahara stopped them.

"Yes, I know that she shouldn't be going through this at all, but the same is to go for Alex as well." Mr. Urahara looked at Ichigo and then at Alex. _It seems like these two are somehow connected in a way. I guess we'll find out how and why soon enough. _

Alex screamed at the top of her lungs from the pain her body received. She couldn't move her arms nor budge her legs. She didn't know why this was happening. All Alex knew was that she was slowly fading away from her world and into darkness. But the darkness only lasted for a few moments.

Her eyes carefully opened to see a somewhat cloudy sky above her. A light breeze picked up, causing nearby flowers to brush their petals against Alex's bare legs. _Where…Where am I? _She sat up from where she lay and looked at her surroundings. It actually reminded her of something that happened a while back, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. But what did hit her were the dark purple flowers that surrounded her. Apparently, she was in a meadow. In the far distance was a lone tree with light purple roses instead of the dark violet ones around her.

"Hey, these are the same flowers that are on my tsuba, except that they didn't have a color to them." Alex took one of flowers into her hand and automatically noticed how soft they felt, just like when they made contact with her legs. "If only I could just find the name for these….

"Creeping Myrtles."

Alex jumped a foot in the air at the delicate, feminine voice that came out of nowhere. "Who the hell are you!?"

* * *

_**You're gonna hate me for this, but I have to stop the chapter. I know I know, I should hurry and update as soon as possible. And I will. **_

_**One more thing: try to see if you guys can think of a reason as to why Alex finds the meadow of Creeping Myrtles familiar.**_

_**See you next time!**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Yes, I realize that I'm weeks late from since the last update. But to make it up, I'll be posting up more than one chapter this week.**_

_**Disclaimer: Okay, I think it's apparent that I don't own Bleach and never will!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 16**

"Wh...Who the hell are you?! And where the hell am I?" Alex said, completely baffled by the sudden appearance of the newcomer.

The woman's outfit consisted of a navy blue, sleeveless kimono stopping at her thighs, a pair of short, black leggings showing underneath. The designs of her kimono were white floral patterns on the bottom moving diagonally upwards, mixing in with the swan on her left breast. Her wide obi sash had a combination of both white and blue. Black gloves reaching up to her elbows covered the slender fingers of her hands, revealing only the tips of each one. The black top under her kimono masked her mouth. On both feet were dark blue, knee-high socks and matching boots with golden outlines. Her pale skin completed the attire, giving off a deadly and killer mood.

The tone of the woman's hair surprised Alex, but only for a second. Her dark crimson hair had a layered bang parted to the right, covering up one of her striking blue eyes. The ends of the other pieces of hair went upwards a little, stopping near her collarbone in the front and in the back the middle of her neck. The rest of it lied in a long braid that went all the way down to her lower back.

"I am *Shi e no Setsuka." The woman answered. "And as for where you are, this is your inner world."

Green eyes blinked at the woman dressed up in Japanese clothing. "My inner world…? Oh! Now I remember. But, I couldn't catch your name. Do you mind repeating it to me again?" Alex asked sitting up in the field of Creeping Myrtles.

Shi e no Setsuka bowed her head in disappointment. "I'm afraid that even if I do, you would still not hear my name. Right now, I cannot reach you because of how distant we are, even after so many years of being by your side." She bent down to touch one of the dark purple flowers fidgeting every now and then from the breeze. "And just because you came here from another universe, it doesn't mean that I never existed until now."

"So…what you're saying is that even back home where Soul Reapers aren't real, you were somehow within me the entire time?" Alex asked, even more confused from the given information.

"I know it might sound as if it made absolutely no sense at all, but you must believe me, for it is the truth." Shi e no Setsuka stood up straight with a Creeping Myrtle twirling in one hand. "I'll explain why later on when you're ready. But for now, we must find a way for you to hear my name. It is then that you will have the ability to wield my blade and use its power." She walked toward Alex before sitting down on her knees. As she held out the flower, "Take this Periwinkle and try to listen for any sound to come from it. Once you hear it, I will say my name for you to call out. Not here in your inner world, but outside where you are training with Ichigo Kurosaki."

Alex's eyes widened with shock written all over. Nonetheless, she carefully took the Periwinkle flower out of the woman's hand. "Does that mean you're my Zanpakuto?" The woman nodded. "Of course! That explains a lot. But, can I ask how you were able to know about the training? And how do you know Ichigo?"

Shi e no Setsuka chuckled. "I know of your training simply because I do. As for Ichigo Kurosaki…let's just say that I can sense your admiration for your friend."

Her cheeks darkened to a shade of red as her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "Admiration?!" Alex yelled. "What kind of 'admiration' are we talking about?! It better not be what I think it is!"

The young Zanpakuto smiled behind her mask. "Let's not worry about that right now. Shouldn't you be listening for the sounds?"

"Don't change the subject! Oh, forget about it!" Alex sighed and gave in to the subject change. With her eyes closed, she concentrated and tried to listen for any of sounds possibly coming out of the flower she held. Nothing could be heard at first. But moments later, Alex's ears were filled with the sounds of all sorts of musical instruments. It felt like an entire symphony performed loudly and majestically in her head. "I…I hear them. But am I supposed to be listening for a particular sound?"

"Alex, if you hadn't heard a single note from the Creeping Myrtle, then I wouldn't be telling you that my name is…"

* * *

Returning back to the training grounds of Mr. Urahara's shop, Alex became conscious again. Her body sat there on the ground, lying on her back with the Hollow mask completed. It of course covered her entire face save for the holes of her bright, cyan blue eyes. Her forehead seemed to be the only other thing revealed. There was no sign of a mouth or set of teeth on the mask. Aura-like blue lines came down from the bottom of her eye, a third one going down the center with a smaller one intersecting near the top of it. On the edges of the mask were pointed thorns going out in all directions with the same tone of blue on each tip. A small section of her forehead was shown as two larger spikes went up in opposition directions, these two being the only ones without cyan blue tips.

Alex slowly sat up from her previous position, feeling a bit of a headache. She felt her face to find that she does indeed bear a Hollow mask. "But…doesn't that mean… Man, I can't remember the name. Oh well, I guess I'll found out soon enough. But what I wanna know is why I have a mask when I'm not the one going through Shattered-?" Realizing that Ichigo was at the bottom of Shattered Shaft on the verge of becoming a Hollow, the brunette hurried over to where Jinta, Ururu, and Mr. Urahara were. By then, her mask had shattered and dissipated into the air.

Ururu saw Alex join the rest of them, relieved that she hasn't become a Hollow. "Alex, are you feeling alright?"

"Mhm. Thank you for asking." She looked down the deep hole with a worried face. "How's he doing?"

Ichigo continued to undergo the hollowfication process as his body stayed intact. His screaming hasn't seized ever since it started. But when his own mask neared its completion, the kido binding his arms began to weaken. This was something Tessai couldn't allow to happen.

"That is absolutely unacceptable. I am switching to suppression mode!" Tessai jabbed both hands into the ground to prepare for his next spell. "Bakudo 99 part 2: Bankin! First incantation: Bandage!" White spiritual particles shot out from underneath Tessai and took the shape of bandages that wrapped itself all over Ichigo, bounding him to the ground. "Second incantation: Hundred Metal Bolts!" Out of nowhere, numerous metal bolts went flying toward Ichigo, impaling his body dearly.

"Hey, be careful down there, Tessai! If you do all that, there's a good chance that he could die!" Jinta shouted from the top of the pit.

Green eyes shook with fear from hearing the little boy's warning to Tessai. Her locket glowed momentarily, letting Alex know that Ichigo wasn't going to die or become a Hollow. _I can't just sit here thinking that everything will be okay when Ichigo is being stabbed and wrapped up in cloth and bolts! How the hell can my necklace even tell if he'll be able to come out alive at all? And did it have something to do with my own hollowfication?_

"I can't hold him down any longer. He must be destroyed immediately, right now before he becomes a Hollow!" Tessai retorted. Clapping his hands together, "Final incantation: Fatal Seal!" An enormous, metal cube appeared above the top of Shattered Shaft, dropping itself all the way down to the bottom. "This is it!"

The cube nearly crushed Ichigo's body and would have succeeded had it not been for the sudden power releasing from said boy's body. A burst of orange energy shot up from the pit. Mr. Urahara shielded Ururu and Jinta while Alex simply sat there and looked up at the overflowing energy. She was amazed at Ichigo's power.

"Look at that!" Jinta said. "Something's shooting out of it!" Something did come out of it before bouncing against many surfaces on the ceiling, finally making impact with the ground a considerable distance away from them. "That thing! J-Just what the heck is that?"

Dust and smoke emitted from the spot, hiding whatever went haywire in it. All four witnesses stared and waited for something else to happen. Jinta stood up first and slowly went closer to it. "Hey, is that you? Answer, Carrot Top!" Jinta called out, wondering if it really was Ichigo in the cloud of smoke. "If you're alive, answer me!" He tried a second time but ended up with no reply.

However, a figure standing high and tall showed itself as more and more dust went away. But something was wrong. For instance, the figure's eyes glowed red as they opened.

Alex waited patiently for the rest of the cloud to move away. Once it did, Ichigo stood there wearing a narrower mask than Alex's with three red streaks on the top left. For Ichigo's Hollow mask, a set of teeth was visible. Pieces of the bandages from the kido moved while sitting on the top of his head, shoulder, and the hilt of his Zanpakuto.

"A Shihakusho…and a mask? Is he a Hollow, or is he a Soul Reaper?" Jinta asked.

Ichigo unsheathed his sword, the blade still being at a dangerously short length. Both Jinta and Ururu went into their stances, thinking that he planned on attacking them.

"I might be small, but I'll fight ya!" Jinta said.

There seemed to be no need to get all worked up. Ichigo simply took his sword out to use the handle to break the mask. The lower half of it cracked into pieces as they fell at his feet. The other half Ichigo took off himself and rested it on his head. He sighed in a casual way, obviously feeling a little worn out. He received a few surprised and shocked looks from Jinta, Ururu, and Alex.

Jinta and Ururu relaxed. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be…a Hollow?" The boy asked.

Ichigo didn't pay mind to Jinta's questions. He repeatedly stretched one of his hands to see how well he could move now that he had control of his body. Clapping sounds reached his ears, causing him to look up and see Mr. Urahara approach him.

"Congratulations! It seems you went and became a Soul Reaper again!" Mr. Urahara got out his fan and waved it at himself. "Well done! Lesson 2: completed!"

"Shut up!" Ichigo went up to Mr. Urahara and socked him with the sword's hilt. He stood over the now 'weeping' man with dark lines waving behind him with his arms crossed over his chest. "Well, well, well, I bet you weren't expecting me to come back alive, were ya? I swore to myself that if I made it out of that hole, I would kill _you _the first chance that I got!"

"Hmm…" Mr. Urahara helped himself get up by using his cane. "Your timing is perfect. With all of your spirit, we should be able to get you started on lesson 3."

Ichigo's eye twitched as his own veins throbbed. "What did you say?"

"And the best part is: there is no time limit." He continued. With one hand pointing at his green and white striped hat, "Knock off my hat with your Zanpakuto, and the lesson will be cleared!" In an instant, Ichigo hurriedly swung his sword at Mr. Urahara, barely missing him. But it was only because Hat and Clogs easily shifted away from the attack before his hat flew off. The only damage received was the small tear on the edge of it. "Not bad, considering your Zanpakuto is broken."

Ichigo backed away from Mr. Urahara before pointing his sword at him. "I wouldn't be so smug, because I haven't really gotten down to business yet. Look, why don't we forget your concept of time limits. I think we can end this lesson in five minutes." He held up his entire hand to show he indeed meant five whole minutes.

"Sounds good," Mr. Urahara's tone changed to a serious and deadly one. "Five minutes… You say that's all the time you need, right?" He took the crook of his cane and pulled a black and white sword.

Alex's eyes narrowed at Mr. Urahara. He couldn't possibly have agreed with the five minute limit unless he had something up his sleeve. _Hold on… Kisuke never did say that lesson 3 for me would differ from Ichigo's, only lesson 2. And I had no need to go through lesson 1. So if that's the case then… oh no. _Her shoulders slumped forward as lines of distress floated around her head. "I don't wanna get my ass killed by Mr. Urahara." She whined.

Without warning, Urahara attacked Alex, surprising both Ichigo and the young employees. He sent her flying toward a rock wall before straightening himself up. "I see you figured out that you were also a part of this. But even so, you must still keep your guard up at all times. Do not become lax while you are my student. It will only lead you to your death."

The cloud of debris from the impact cleared to show a Substitute Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto unsheathed in front of its wielder. Alex's blade, the appearance being similar to Kisuke's, absorbed most of the attack, receiving minimal damage. She lowered her sword as a vein throbbed over her head. "What the hell, Urahara? Haven't you ever heard of a warning?!"

"Haven't you ever heard of a surprise attack?" Ichigo said, smirking at the brown-haired girl's pain. "Besides, you deserved it after sitting back and watching me go through hell. Now it's your turn." He crossed his arms over his chest with a defiant grin.

"Just you wait, Ichigo! When I get my hands on you, you'll be sorry you ever-wahh!" Alex didn't have time to tell her entire threat, for Mr. Urahara wouldn't allow her a single break. "Oh, come on! Why aren't you going after Ichigo?"

"I'll go after whomever I want to when I see the perfect opening." Kisuke said. His sword rested itself on one of his shoulders. "But to make it easier for the both of you, how about I give you each different targets? Ichigo will still attempt to knock my hat off my head, and Alex will have to take my fan out of my possession. Sound like a plan?"

An eye twitched furiously, and a mouth shot open in pure disbelief. Alex couldn't stand that she had the harder task. "I don't believe this… Why couldn't I be the one to knock his hat off instead?"

Ichigo, of course, felt great about having the easier job. "Ha! You should totally see your face!" He laughed. But this lasted for only a few seconds. The lesson had already begun, and Mr. Urahara meant business if his sword were to ever be taken out.

"Get ready." Kisuke warned them, charging at Ichigo with his sword prepared to slice him in half.

* * *

"Finally," Tessai made it out of Shattered Shaft unharmed, although his glasses had taken some serious damage. Many cracks were shown on the actual glass, yet they stayed intact.

Jinta noticed the muscled man come up from the pit, glad to see that he's fine. "There you are, Mr. Tessai! Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright." He retorted rather agitatedly. "My glasses nearly fell apart!"

"As long as you're still breathing, then you're alright." Jinta deadpanned with a comical straight face. "And even if your glasses are cracked, you'll probably wanna keep 'em on just to see what happens next. Just a minute ago, Mr. Kisuke got out his sword! So this should _really _be good."

Said man swung his sword and sliced a large rock in half, for Ichigo dodged the attack.

"Hey, not bad, considering you're using a little kiddie sword!" Ichigo shouted.

"Oh! What a compliment, student. Don't expect me to go easy on ya!" Mr. Urahara began swinging his sword aimlessly at Ichigo as he chased after him. What was supposed to be a normal laugh became a psychotic one.

His laugh nearly scared the mess out of Alex. Since she wasn't being chased by the mad man, Alex stayed within a close distance behind them while strategizing a plan to get Mr. Urahara's fan. _If I can get close enough to Hat and Clogs without him attacking me, I could clear this lesson in no time. Only thing is, Ichigo has to keep him busy. _A devious grin spread across her face. "Oh, I'm sure he can take one for the team…"

Meanwhile, Ichigo ran from a flailing blade that threatened to hurt him. But then he remembered something. _Hey, wait a minute. Why am I running? I thought that only a Zanpakuto could kill Soul Reapers and Hollows. But I saw Mr. Hat and Clogs pull that little sword out of his cane. So it can't possibly be a Zanpakuto! _Ichigo slowed down to turn and face his opponent. _So even if he hits me with it, it can't cut me._ How wrong his theory turned out to be.

The moment Ichigo stopped was when Mr. Urahara swung his blade and took off the remains of the Hollow mask resting on his head. A few strands of orange hair flew off from getting cut by the sword. "You let your guard. You thought that because I'm not a Soul Reaper, I couldn't have a Zanpakuto. And you're thinking there's no way for me to hurt you. You are so naïve."

Alex saw this as an opportunity to get the fan and quickly escape the scene. But seeing that Ichigo didn't know of the strength of Mr. Urahara's Zanpakuto, she had to do something to help. "You owe me big time for this, Ichigo." She harshly whispered to herself.

"Awaken now, Benihime." A crackling sound was heard from Mr. Urahara's Zanpakuto. The sword then transformed into a blade sleeker yet thicker than before. The hilt's grip bent forward at the end with a crimson tassel attached to the bottom. A U-shaped guard covered three inches of the blade, having flower petal design showing on it. The base of the guard had a red string tied around it, a folded paper decoration dangling from it. "I assure you, this is a real Zanpakuto, _very _real."

Ichigo simply stared at Mr. Urahara. What went through his mind were the commands and names of Renji and Mr. Urahara's Zanpakuto. _"You can't even ask your Zanpakuto its name? I knew it!" _A flashback of Renji saying those words replayed in his head. "A name…from my Zanpakuto?" Ichigo thought aloud.

"Yes," Kisuke said. "Each Zanpakuto carries a unique name. And this one is Benihime, the Red Princess. Let us show you."

"Ichigo, move out of the way, ya dunce!" Alex shouted before shoving him out of Benihime's path. Unfortunately for her, she ended up taking a hit to her abdomen. She bled from the wound as she flew the opposite direction Ichigo went in. In her hand was Mr. Urahara's fan. While pushing Ichigo, Alex must have quickly snatched it right out of his robe. This might have been her plan from the start, but she didn't expect taking any damage. "Dammit!" Alex fell to the ground yards away from Mr. Urahara and Ichigo. A boulder five times her size stopped her from going any further. "Well, at least I'm done." She winced in pain as the cut stung.

Ichigo looked up and saw an injured brunette leaning against an enormous rock. "Alex!" He yelled as his eyes widened. _Why did she do something so reckless when I could have dodged it!?_

A second later, Alex's spade-shaped locket glowed. The deep cut her stomach started to heal, amazing the brown-haired once more of its unknown source of power. _Did my necklace just..? But that means Ichigo must have..._

* * *

_**You're gonna hate me for this, but I have to stop the chapter right here. Don't worry, another one will be posted the next day. **_

_***Shi e no Setsuka means "Lethal Melody".**_

_**See you next chapter!**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Let's make this author note short and simply, shall we?**_

_**Disclaimer: Same as the last chapter. **_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 17**

"Alex!" Ichigo recovered from the protective shove to find the one who did it lying against a rock with a deep wound. He soon felt responsible for causing her injury, even though it wouldn't mean the end of her life. "Dammit!" He muttered.

Mr. Urahara advanced toward Ichigo the second left himself wide open. But in the nick of time, Ichigo blocked Benihime's attack with his broken sword. "I'll give you credit for not running away at least, and for parrying with that broken stump. You're not short on nerve…just the same. Benihime is much too fierce to let a blade like _that _stop her." Mr. Urahara sliced through the remains of Ichigo's blade, leaving half as much left.

_Damn, that can't be. _Ichigo moved his arm away from getting cut by Benihime. He saw a chance to flee and ran from the strong shop owner. _He just cut through my Zanpakuto like it was butter! _

"Don't you get it, Ichigo?" Said boy's brown eyes widened as he turned to see Hat and Clogs right behind him. "Your sword has no concentration of spirit energy in it." Ichigo panicked and swung whatever was left of his sword in an attempt to knock the hat off and end this madness, but he failed. "It has size, but that's all it has. It carries a Zanpakuto shape but has none of the necessary internal strength. So I can cut it," Mr. Urahara sliced yet another half of the stump, "just like that."

The other half of Ichigo's tsuba fell, leaving only the handle. "Now you don't have any sword at all. Do you plan to continue attacking me with nothing but the hilt? I suppose you can still manage to knock my hat off with it. But this time, Ichigo, you're gonna need more than just blind luck _or _courage." A red light emitted from Mr. Urahara, meaning that he would no longer show mercy. "I think that it's only fair to warn you: if you try to go against me with that inferior weapon, I _will_ kill you."

By now, Alex's injury healed, and she felt less fatigued as well. A warm smile appeared on her face while holding the silver spade locket. "Thank you, Ichigo." She said to herself. Something didn't feel right, though. And then she reminded herself that just because she finished lesson 3, it doesn't mean that Ichigo did._ Frankly, I don't think these lesson helped me the slightest bit. _Alex mentally sighed. _The only thing I gained from this was a Hollow's mask and the knowledge of pressure points and how they work..._ She sensed Benihime's power from afar, gasping before jumping straight into action. Alex needed to hurry and help Ichigo as much as she can.

_I've gotta get away! I don't he's kidding; he's really going to kill me this time! _Ichigo screamed while barely dodging Mr. Urahara. Blood ran down the side of his head from the wound he received. _This is pathetic. What am I doing? Why am I running away? Is this all the backbone I have? _He was roughly thrown down, nearly getting himself killed if he hadn't have rolled out the way. _Am I just a coward after all, a complete phony? I'm so disgusted with myself. I even let Alex get herself hurt because of how careless _I _was. How pathetic. It's pathetic. Pathetic!_

"_Yes, that's you." _

Ichigo stopped in his place to see a man dressed in a long, flowing coat before him. "Master…"

He stared at Ichigo through his narrow sunglasses. "Why are you running away, Ichigo? You still haven't called me yet." The man reappeared behind him. "Face forward, Ichigo, and you should be able to hear it now. The only thing plugging your ears is your own fear. There's only enemy and only one of you, so what is there to be afraid of?"

Alex could see Ichigo stop abruptly. A dark shadow lingered over him, covering most of his face and body. "Huh?" _What's wrong with him?__  
_

Mr. Urahara halted as well, earning a few curious looks from the three person audience. "Hey, what's up? He just stopped and so did Ichigo." Jinta said.

Suddenly, everyone went still. The red string and blue tassels from Ichigo's hilt moved from an unknown breeze surrounding it. Alex stayed where she was, watching from a few feet away. It felt strange to have no other motion take place. The dead silence didn't exactly help either. _Geez, can't someone do something at all? This silence is making me feel uncomfortable… _Alex moved her eyes to the ground. One of her arms went across her chest as it nervously held the other.

Much to her relief, yet also the exact opposite, Mr. Urahara went into a fighting stance. "Finally, some action is-." Alex cut herself off in realization. "Oh, right..." She took her Zanpakuto out and prepared to jump in whenever needed.

_"Abandon your fear. Turn and face him. Don't give in. Now, Ichigo, advance; never stop." _Ichigo held the hilt as if he were about to unsheathe a sword from his waist. A circle of dust surrounded him because of the power that threatened to break free. _"If you retreat, you will age. Be afraid, and you'll die. Now shout out my name!"_

"Zangetsu!" Blue spirit energy erupted from Ichigo, forming into a new weapon in the process. The rest of it was shot at Hat and Clogs but missed him entirely. Either way, the level of power seemed insane.

"Whoa," Jinta said, "what's going on out there?" Tessai protected him and Ururu by holding them close and away from the spirit energy. Since they were hidden behind a boulder, it helped serve as a shield.

Alex looked away from the blinding light. The smoke swirling around the area blocked her vision even more, but only for a second. It cleared and showed Ichigo holding the released form of Zangetsu. He knelt on one knee as he held the tall sword by the handle, one elbow resting on the other knee. Zangetsu's form was a black blade with a silver edge that was nearly the same height as Ichigo, seeming like an oversized cleaver. There was no hilt or guard, only a tang wrapped in white-cloth. A piece of the material moved along with the wind at the top of the handle. Ichigo got up while taking the tip of his sword of out the ground.

"Holy crap! I can't believe I'm actually witnessing Ichigo's first time using Zangetsu!" Alex said, making sure no one heard the fangirl side of her. She was truly amazed at the sight. This excited her so much that she smiled. _This is awesome! I even smiled like an idiot when I first watched it happen!_

"What kind of sword is that? It doesn't even have a hilt or a guard on it. It's not even shaped like a normal sword!" Jinta observed. "If you ask me, I liked his old one better." If he had noticed the shocked look on Tessai's face, he would've had a second thought about that.

"Well, it's about time." Mr. Urahara said. "Now that you've managed to draw your Zanpakuto, it's time for lesson No. 3. Are you ready for that?"

Ichigo never did answer his question. "Don't take this the wrong way, Mr. Urahara. But I hope you dodge this…"

"What?"

He lifted his sword up high. "Because I can't control it yet!" The small patch of bandages on his right shoulder exploded from the overwhelming force. The metal bolts flew off with the cloth.

Without another second passing by, Mr. Urahara held his Zanpakuto in front of him. "Scream, Benihime!" Ichigo used both hands to bring Zangetsu down. Everything after that happened in an instant. A green and white striped hat floated in the air, flying away with a large section of it missing. Standing unharmed was a surprised shop owner and his smoking Benihime. _Whew! Good thing I protected myself with my blood in this shield. Without it, I probably would have lost an arm just now. _

His beloved hat came back to him, resting near his feet. "That wasn't very nice. I believe do you've killed my hat." Mr. Urahara dusted off any dirt on hat before placing it on his head. Turning around, "Impressive! I didn't expect you could do that with a single swing of your sword. Ichigo, you are one, frightening kid, you know that?"

Ichigo might have retorted with a smart comeback, but somehow, while resting on both knees and holding on to his Zanpakuto, he fell asleep on one of his arms. What made it even funnier was the bit of drool hanging out of his mouth.

"Lesson 3: cleared." Behind Kisuke was a deep trench created by the massive attack Ichigo delivered. The amount of damage he caused astonished Alex, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu.

Alex rushed over to the napping boy and skidded to a halt before kneeling down beside. She wanted to wake him up and congratulate him for finally finding out the name of his Shikai, but he looked so tired and worn out. Besides, Ichigo's been at it for a few days, non-stop. Alex lowered her head near his face with a goofy smile plastered on her own. "I'm glad your ass wasn't handed to you a second time, Ichigo. But to be honest, I kind of wanted to use my own Zanpakuto and do it myself, _if _I ever get the chance to hear her name." She laughed. "I guess we'll see how that works when you wake up, won't we?"

"Miss Alex, may I speak with you for a moment?" Mr. Urahara called out. Said teenage girl hurried over to him and listened to what he needed to discuss with her. "First, I would like to point out that the lessons you went through weren't made for you to kill time. There's always a method behind my madness."

_I'm still surprised that I made it out alive from your darn madness! _"Well, let's just hope that I can put what I gained from them to good use."

"Second," he continued, turning serious, "I want you to keep a close eye on that Hollow mask of yours." This earned him a shocked reaction from the brunette. "I'm not sure how or why you ended up going through the hollowfication process the same time and way Ichigo did, but one thing I do know is that you need to be careful from here on out. Keep your guard up at all times, physically and mentally."

* * *

Ichigo and Alex weren't the only ones reaching their breakthroughs.

Uryu had completed the training necessary for creating his new and improved Quincy weapon. _At last, it's complete._ Smoke emitted from the holes of the white and blue glove as Uryu sweated from how much he went through to achieve this power. _I owe it all to you, Sensei._

* * *

At the warehouse, an explosion erupted from where Chad, Orihime, and Yoruichi were. It destroyed an entire window and the wall surrounding it. "You did it! Chad, that was so amazing! Way to go! Wow!" Orihime yelled while holding Chad's black and red armored arm up in the air.

"You clumsy fools! That explosion is causing a panic in the streets!" Yoruichi said. Down below, a crowd of construction workers gathered near the scene with flashing signs above all of their heads. Some called for a fire department to get there and help. "Quick, out the back door!"

"Okay, okay!" Orihime and Chad hurried to the exit.

_I can't believe how quickly they've both awakened their powers and have become capable individuals. _A worried and frightened scream from a busty girl brought the talking cat out of his thoughts. "What happened?"

"Oh, no! Chad just tripped and fell down the stairs! Somebody help!" Orihime flailed in panic.

Yoruichi sweatdropped. _Then again…_

* * *

_After completing training at Urahara's shop, Alex and I were told to go home and wait for the opening of the gate into the Soul Society. So here am I for what could be my last summer vacation. _Ichigo thought.

"Isn't this exciting everyone?! We're finally here at the Fireworks Festival!" Keigo shouted in a rather comical and weird fashion.

"You're so enthusiastic!" Mizuiro pointed out as he sweatdropped.

"Why not? Who doesn't like to watch stuff get fired up and explode?!" The whole gang was there, along with Ichigo's family wearing their Kimonos.

"Hey, don't forget about me." Isshin said. "In fact, I slept over there on that sidewalk last night in order to save the very best spots! Follow me, and we'll go there now!" A star sparkled near his teeth, causing Ichigo to slump and stare at his dad's ridiculousness. Black dots appeared one-by-one behind him as an eye twitched.

Keigo had the same mind as Isshin, so he's expected to be as stupid and silly as he is. "Hey, for a grown-up, you're alright!"

"Fantastic!" Mizuiro said.

Even Karin joined in. "Way to go!"

"This is gonna awesome!" Alex pumped a fist in the air. This _was _her first Fireworks Festival, so why wouldn't she be excited?

"How about you two lovely ladies, care to join us?" Ichigo's dad asked.

"We'll be there a little later." Tatsuki said. One of her arms was in a cast because of what happened in a recent tournament she won second place in. Orihime stood beside her with her front bang parted to the side instead of being loose.

"Suit yourselves! Come on everybody! The sun's going down, and it's almost explosion time!" Everyone except, Ichigo, Tatsuki, and Orihime, ran off with Isshin to the spot where they would watch the fireworks.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head with a comical straight face. "Well, might as well. Guess I'll go, too." He looked over his shoulder to face his friend. "Sorry, Tatsuki, it's always like this. You don't have to come along if you don't want to."

"Oh, don't worry about me, Ichigo. I'll probably catch up with everybody later." She fanned her good hand at him. "You just go ahead and have fun."

"Alright, see ya." Ichigo ran to catch up with the rest of them.

By the time he reached the spot, Ichigo was met face to face with a treat bought from one of the stands. "Hey, Ichigo, you gotta try this!" Alex held up a stick with treats on it. "It tastes like blueberries and strawberries, and they're my favorite!"

Ichigo chuckled at how Alex was having a blast at her first festival. "So I'm guessing you're having a good time, huh?" He got a closer look at what she wore and raised both eyebrows. "Wow, you even went all out and dressed yourself up."

"Mhm! I told my mom that I was going and she got me this Kimono. Turns out that it's the birthday present she bought for me!" Alex twirled around in her light blue and white kimono that reached all the way to her ankles. Butterflies flew up from the bottom to the other parts of the upper half. Her obi sash had flower petals falling down. The tabi shoes' faded and mixed in concept with the white and blue matched with her dress. Alex carried a Japanese, dark blue umbrella as an accessory, also wearing a white rose clip in her hair. "I don't usually dress up, but since it's a special occasion, I just had to wear it."

"Really..." Ichigo looked at his hyper family. "You would fit in just fine with my crazy folks."

Alex smiled and handed him the snacks. "Here, try it."

"No thanks. I'm not much of a sweets person."

"Aw! You're no fun!" She whined as she whacked him with her umbrella.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at her with a throbbing vein. "Watch it, dumbbell!" She stuck her tongue at him as a response. He would have smacked her upside the head but decided to let it slide just this once. "I'll get you back some other time. Besides, we're at festival, and it's your first time."

The brunette blinked in surprise at Ichigo for being nice to her for a change. "Yeah… You're right. We should get ready for the fireworks. It's almost show time!"

As if on cue, the sky darkened, and a burst of various fireworks shot up in the air and exploded into magnificent displays. All that watched the colorful shapes of the fireworks were in awe at their beauty. Green eyes in particular sparkled as they saw one wave after another pop in the sky. Alex was speechless, for she has never seen so many of them in one night. It took her a minute to finally speak. "I don't ever want to forget this night, especially the time I spent it with my friends…"

Ichigo turned to Alex and smiled. "Glad you liked your first Fireworks Festival, Alex."

She nodded in agreement, "It wouldn't have been so amazing if you weren't here, though." Her eyes met with brown ones as they held contact for at least a few seconds. Both sets of eyes had then looked up at the sky filled with joyous lights that would continue for a while longer.

Botania sat on Ichigo's shoulders while neither noticed. "Now _this _is what I call fireworks!"

"What the hell?!" Ichigo yelled as he whipped his head to find a girl sitting on his shoulders.

A vein throbbed over Alex's head in annoyance. "Bobo! Get off of Ichigo, will ya?!"

Ichigo stared at Alex, still being a little frightened by the small child on his shoulder. "Wait, you know this kid?"

She sighed, "Yeah, I know her. Ichigo, this is Botania or Bobo for short. Bobo, you already know Ichigo, so I don't need to introduce you to him." Alex pulled at Bobo's pigtails, forcing her down from her place. "And didn't I tell you not to be seen? I thought you said that-."

"I never said that." Bobo interrupted.

"You didn't even know what I was going to say!"

"So? It doesn't matter. Either way, I got tired of being hidden, so I might as well meet everyone before you head off to you-know-where! You didn't think I would go with ya, now did you?" The little girl giggled at the teens' shocked reactions. "Aww! You two are so cute when you make the same faces at the same time!"

"WHAT!? NO WE'RE NOT!" Both said in unison as light shades of red broke across their cheeks. A moment later, Alex started chasing after Bobo with Ichigo following behind her to give the annoying girl a piece of their mind. Botania laughed the entire time. Every now and then, they would stop to see the remaining waves of fireworks. Alex and Ichigo simply gave up and enjoyed the rest of the Festival before it ended. This was definitely something that everyone would truly remember.

* * *

"Well, I guess it's about time." Ichigo opened his window while sitting up on his bed. "All I can do now is wait."

"_Seven days from now, at 1:00am, be ready with your window open." _Mr. Urahara instructed to Ichigo and Alex in a haunting/silly tone.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this." Ichigo said. He looked out his window and felt the cool wind of the early morning. "There's a nice breeze out, at least… Hey." Something in the sky twinkled, catching Ichigo's eye. It turned out to be an object flying in his direction. The ball or sack made contact with Ichigo's closet wall, splattering a dark red substance all over it. "What the hell?"

A message was read from the wall saying: _Urgent: Meet us outside the Urahara shop immediately. _

"Who the hell contacts people like that?! This is like some T.V. crime scene message written in the victims own blood! And it better not stain my wall!" Ichigo yelled while going into a comical fit. "Hm? What now? A p.s.?"

The rest of it said: _P.S.: If you're thinking this message is like some 'written in the victim's own blood' cliché from some T.V. show, then you obviously have no sense of humor._

Ichigo threw a pillow at the message. "Oh, shut up!"

Everyone else in the Kurosaki Clinic slept as Ichigo walked out the front door. His little sisters had no idea what their big brother was to go through for the next couple of weeks. But it's best that it stays that way. "Well dad, Karin, Yuzu…goodbye."

"Good morniiiing, Ichigooo!" Isshin jumped off the roof of his home and landed head first into the pavement, for Ichigo moved out of his path just in time. "Way to dodge the attack, my son…" His forehead had a lot of blood coming down his face.

"_This _is how you say goodbye? What's wrong with you?!"

His dad held up a charm while getting up. "Before you left, Ichigo, I wanted to make sure you had this to take with ya."

Ichigo took the gift and stared at it like it was alien to him. "What am I supposed to do with some dirty old charm?"

"Watch your mouth! That talisman was given to me by your mother long ago. It's precious." Isshin said. A small crisscrossed bandage covered up the head injury.

"Then what are you giving this to me for? I can't keep this thing!"

"Of you course you can't! Whoever said I was giving it to you permanently? You have to give it back to me as soon as you come home! Sheesh!" Isshin stopped fooling around and became serious. "It should bring ya luck. It always has for me. Think of it as a gift from your mother." He waited for his son to answer him. "Well? Whadda ya say?" Still nothing. Here comes the rampage. "Hey, I'm offering you a magic talisman! And I swear, if you don't bring it back, I'll shave my beard off! Now answer me already!"

"Alright already! I'll take it." Ichigo closed his hand over the charm while walking away. "I'm going now. Goodbye, dad."

"Byeee!" His father said with a cheerful tone and grin.

* * *

At the Rosewood residence, Alex had just received Kisuke's message written in 'blood'. It took a lot of strength for her to not freak out the same way Ichigo did. "I swear this man is a total nutcase when he's kidding around. It's even worse in person!" She whispered.

"Well, when you think about it, I think he's probably trying to ease your nerves before going into the Soul Society. Maybe that was his intention." Bobo said as she floated near Alex. Both wore comfortable clothing since they didn't need to dress up. "So, are ya ready to head out? Did you say you're goodbyes?"

"No, I didn't…" Alex stared at her feet with a frown. "I don't think I should. They're gonna ask me where I'm going and wonder what the Soul Society is. They can't see spirits, so it'll be a long explanation. But y'know," she lifted her head, a smile resting on her face, "I feel as though they'll support me either way. So maybe that's another reason why I don't need to tell them goodbye." Alex started walking out of her bedroom. "Besides, my dad always gets all emotional when his little girl leaves for anything that lasts for more than a day. Now come on; let's go save Rukia!"

Bobo cheered in excited but made sure to do it quietly. She didn't want to wake Alex's family and maid up. It would take forever just to latch her father off of his only daughter. And there wasn't time for any of that.

The two companions ran out the house and into the early morning atmosphere of Karakura town. On the inside, Alex felt really excited yet scared at the same time. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, making Alex feel even more jumpy. _I'm actually going to the Soul Society! I know I shouldn't let myself get too jumpy about it, but the fangirl inside of me can't help but to feel giddy! And while I'm there, I'll have a chance to use my Zanpakuto! _She never released her sword into its Shikai for she couldn't hear her name just yet, and also because she wanted to see Ichigo bring out Zangetsu. _But to be honest, I'm a little nervous about what her abilities will be and how the weapon will look…_

"Hey, Alex, we're hereeee!" Bobo said in a sing-song voice.

"Hm?" Said girl stopped running to see Chad and Mr. Urahara already there. Alex gave Chad a nod while smiling. He returned the nod but showed little emotion as usual. "Ichigo's not here yet?"

"Try looking behind you, Miss Rosewood." Mr. Urahara pointed at the orange-haired boy. "Well, well, if it isn't Ichigo and right on time! Welcome to the club." Chad stood up at Ichigo's arrival.

Seeing someone other than Alex there surprised Ichigo. "Hey, Chad. What are you doing here?"

"Rukia saved me once. I want to help her out as much as I can." He replied. "I'm going, too."

"Huh?"

"What's the matter? Are you hard of hearing or something?" Another voice said while the owner approached them. Ichigo turned around to see Uryu standing there with a new Quincy outfit. "I don't take defeat well, especially when it's at the hands of a Soul Reaper. So I'm going, too."

One last person Ichigo knew came forth and revealed her presence. "So, I guess we're all present and accounted for!"

"Orihime?" Ichigo said.

"Yes! I got the message, too!" Orihime gently bowed forward.

Alex stole glances between Chad, Uryu, and Orihime before landing her attention on a confused Ichigo. _It feels good to know what's coming to you! Well, not exactly everything since my memory is still jacked up. But at least I'm not Ichigo!_

"Hold on a second. Can somebody please tell me what the hell is going on here?" Ichigo said while freaking out.

"You're a little slow on the uptake, are you?"

"Yoruichi!" Orihime greeted to the black cat.

Yoruichi looked Ichigo dead in the eye and said, "Kid, don't tell me you didn't notice the increase in the hidden powers of these three friends of yours. There have been so many clues. You need to be more observant than that if you want to survive. While you were training and trying to regain your Soul Reaper powers, the three of them were also training in their own way." He turned to a calm Alex and nodded. "I see that you must have already knew of their abilities, am I right?"

"Uh, yeah…" Alex said. _I just hope no one gets suspicious on how I know so much...__  
_

The black cat brought his eyes back on Ichigo. "Instead of asking stupid, meaningless questions, you ought to be thanking them."

Ichigo did none of what he was told and went crazy from the fact that a feline could actually…well… "A freakin' cat just spoke to me!" Yeah, that.

"His name is Yoruichi. And he's not just a cat!" Orihime corrected him.

"It _is _hard to get used to." Uryu said, understanding Ichigo's pain.

"I'm still adjusting to it myself…" Chad admitted.

Alex had to hold in a laugh by covering her hand. "Geez, Ichigo, you really need to relax."

Bobo's eyes sparkled at Yoruichi. "Whoa! A talking cat! Can I keep him?"

"No, you may not keep Yoruichi!" Alex yelled at her with a throbbing vein. She noticed that the little girl was floating in mid-air but gave up and would explain everything to everyone once inside. Well, only about Bobo having special abilities as well, not about her being from another universe and somehow ending up in this one.

Orihime saw Bobo flying, too. "Wow! She's flying! What's your name, little girl? I'm Orihime!"

"And my name is Botania! But you can call me Bobo!" She introduced herself in the same happy-go-lucky tone as Orihime.

"It's nice to meet you, Bobo!" Both girls giggled while the boys and Alex sweatdropped at them.

Alex slapped a palm over her head. "Are we seriously doing this _now_?"

Mr. Urahara thought this too as he clapped his hands and got everyone's attention. "Alright, alright, come on, everybody! Let's take this little party inside the store; there are things we can't talk about out here in the open." He gestured for them to head inside.

Once they all climbed down the stupid long ladder leading to the training grounds, Orihime was to first to react to its massive size as she clasped her hands together. "Whoa! This is so incredible! Who knew there was something this humongous below the shop! Isn't it amazing?"

"I guess." Ichigo deadpanned.

Tessai on the other hand felt teary-eyed and took Orihime's hand while the other used a handkerchief to wipe his tears. "What a heart-warming reaction. It's such a pleasure to have you on this trip, my dear."

"Well, the pleasure is all mine, Mr. Tessai." Orihime felt a little embarrassed at first. She scratched her head with a blush showing on her cheeks.

Alex sweatdropped with Ichigo as they watched the burly man cry over Orihime, literally. "Oh boy. Can't he get a grip?"

"Alright, everyone, your attention, please? All eyes over here." Mr. Urahara clapped his hands once more before presenting the gate. With a snap of his fingers, it appeared in a flashy fashion. But all the more, it sure was a beauty. "Voilà! This is the gate that leads to the Soul Society. It's called a Senkaimon or tunnel world gate. I'm gonna tell you all how to successfully pass through it. But first, we need to change one thing." He took the end of his cane and used it to bring Ichigo and Alex out of their bodies, changing them into Soul Reapers. Although, he could have warned them before throwing them off guard.

"Wow!" Uryu, Chad, and Orihime were all amazed at the quick and simple process. Chad held Ichigo's limp body while Uryu had Alex's.

"Hey, how about giving me a little warning next time, Urahara?!" Ichigo said.

Alex smirked, seeing this as a chance to get back at him. "It's called a surprise, Ichigo. He doesn't _have _to tell you if he didn't want to. I would've thought you knew about it by now!"

"Shut up!" Ichigo threatened her with a clenched fist near her face.

"I wondered how you changed your clothes so fast!" Orihime said as they talked over her. "So Ichigo, you're not inside this Ichigo anymore?"

"Don't talk about me like I'm some doll with changeable outfits!" Ichigo said.

Bobo repeatedly poked at both Ichigo and Alex's bodies. "Poke, poke, poke! This is fun!" She giggled.

Alex wanted to bonk the small girl on the head. "Quit poking at my body, Bobo! It's annoying!"

"But you can't feel it, so why should it matter?"

"Why you little…!"

Mr. Urahara laughed the entire time as he fanned himself. "Alright, listen up. Unlike normal gates, this one has a spirit particle conversion machine."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ichigo asked.

"I'll explain. As you already know, the Soul Society is a spirit world. Unless you are in spirit form, it's impossible to enter. Right now, only two of you can cross through as a spirit: Ichigo and Alex, a Soul Reaper. The conversion machine will transform the rest of you into spirits as well." Urahara explained.

"So you're saying the gate will let us pass through without extracting our souls?" Uryu asked for confirmation.

Mr. Urahara nodded. "Yes. Passing through the conversion machine will allow you to stay in your present forms."

"Alright, we understand!" Ichigo blurted out as he tried walking past Kisuke. "Let's get going-." He was stopped by Urahara's cane jabbing him in the side. Ichigo leaned one hand against a rock wall while the other soothed his aching hip. Alex sweatdropped as she watched him in pain.

"Serves him right for rushing…" Alex mumbled.

"But there's a catch: the window of time the gate can be kept open for you is only…four minutes long."

All of them stared at Urahara with enlarged eyes. "But…is that gonna be enough time?" Ichigo asked.

"Ordinarily, no." Kisuke deadpanned. "In fact, the whole scheme is a little shaky. Four minutes with the gate is all I can give ya. After that, it will close, and anyone who hasn't made it through yet will be trapped forever in the Dangai, the Precipice World between this world and the Soul Society."

Orihime was feeling pretty nervous about this whole operation. Four minutes isn't a long time, and who knows what will happen if they were to be trapped in the Precipice World. "How will we ever make it?"

"Go forward." Yoruichi said. "Remember what I told you about the connection between heart and soul. You must have no doubt, have no fear. Do not think about those you are leaving behind. The will to go forward will be your guide, and don't look back. Only those who can do these things can follow me through the gate and survive."

Ichigo stepped in front of the group, speaking for all of them when he said, "We all know this already or we wouldn't still be here. Quit with all your preaching, and let's do this thing, now!"

"And you understand that if you lose, you can never return to this life again, right?"

"Then all I need to do is win, huh?" Ichigo said.

Yoruichi continued to stare at Ichigo with his yellow eyes. "Exactly."

The Senkaimon lit up from being activated by Mr. Urahara and Tessai. "So, everybody ready? As soon as it opens, run in as fast as you can."

"Right." Ichigo deadpanned.

"Good luck."

Ichigo, Alex, Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Botania, and Yoruichi, dashed straight into the gate the moment it opened. The light engulfed them inside of it. Right when it went away and everyone was gone, the clock started ticking, counting down the four minutes these brave teenagers and child had to make it to the Soul Society.

* * *

_**I won't lie; I jump up and down every time I watch this episode! I hope you liked it!**_

_**Stay tuned for the next chapter!**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Everyone knows the drill! I OWN NOTHING!**__**Except for my own characters.**_

_**But before we continue, I would like to say a few words and dedicate this chapter to a few of my readers. **_

_**Bookgal7: For being my 100**__**th**__** reviewer of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and for also asking me to be her beta reader. Plus we're kind of band geeks. (BAND GEEKS UNITE!)**_

_**Lady Island Rose: This chick has been one of my favorite reviewers! She was also the one who helped me come up with one of my chapters when I had a little writer's block, which was chapter 10.**_

_**Lostfeather1: You are always so energetic and just an amazing reader. The things you write just make me laugh **_**every time **_**I read it, and whenever it's something touching, I get a little emotional. *sniff sniff* Anyway, keep on being you and never lose that enthusiasm!**_

_**Hayate the Soul Reaper: Just plain awesomesauce. She's a wonderful reviewer and criticizer, always helping me see what I'm missing or what I did well (same goes for Bookgal7).**_

_**And last but not least, VCAYuki: My very first reviewer. Also, she's one of my best friends at school, too, urging me to keep writing and making new stories on here. Love ya! **_

_**And now, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Soul Society arc. Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 18**

As of now, Alex, Ichigo, and co. are inside of the Dangai, or the Precipice World. There was no time to look around, especially since the walls were closing in on them while they ran. The only surface available was the hard, cold ground which had the bones of once living beings lying around.

Uryu looked over his shoulder to what went on behind them. "Don't look now, but that section we just came through is collapsing on us. I'm running as fast as I can, but I still don't think we're going to make it through!"

Yoruichi hurried with the group of teenagers and one child. "Then quit looking behind you and concentrate your efforts on running. If the restrictive current swallows you up, then it's all over!"

From up top, the currents exerted a heap of their purple substance. It nearly fell entirely on them but they increased their speed just in time. Unfortunately, it could move on its own and reached for Uryu, since he was the closest to the back. His cape had of course been a disadvantage. Because of it, the Quincy was easily captured.

"Uryu! I knew that stupid outfit would get him caught." Ichigo halted and grabbed the hilt of sword, ready to use it when given the signal.

"Hold it, you mustn't do that Ichigo. The restrictive current entangles the spiritual body. If you reveal yourself using your Zanpakuto, it'll swallow you, too." Yoruichi and the others stopped and watched as Uryu was dragged away with no way of freedom.

Alex turned to Chad with an idea in mind. _Might as well tell him myself since its bound to happen. _"Chad, you can save Uryu by ripping his cape away from the current using your muscle. And while you're at it, just carry him so we don't leave anyone behind." The last part ended up being whispered.

Chad nodded in agreement and placed her plan into action. Without struggle, he freed Uryu.

"Thanks for that, Chad." Uryu said before the said boy yanked him up and put him over his shoulder.

"Let's go."

"What do you think you're doing? Hey, put me down, will ya? I can run on my own!" No one listened to his pleas and continued moving forward. Uryu saw something out of the ordinary going on in the distance. "I don't mean to bother you while you're running but…something else is coming." A beam of light appeared before it burst through the currents, revealing an enormous, train-light object. "Yoruichi, what is that?!"

"It's the Cleaner! It comes through here every seven days to clear out the passage way, and it's just our bad luck that today is the day! Don't look back at it!" He warned the group. "That'll only slow you down. Just keep running or it'll crush you to powder!" With the new motivation in mind, everyone ran as fast as they can. "Go, go! We're almost to the exit!"

Alex's adrenaline began to kick in. Her heart started racing while her breath became short and ragged. Curiosity got the best and she stole a look from the Sweeper. "Is it just me, or is that thing gaining on us?!"

"Nope, it's just you." Botania stated while flying forward.

"You and your damn ability to fly…" She shot an envious glare at her, one which Bobo kindly giggled in response to.

"Can you two shut up and run?" Ichigo shouted over the two.

"Guys, we're not going to make it!" It would have been nice if Uryu wasn't being such a pessimist at a time like this…

But sadly, he spoke the partial truth. The Sweeper quickly closed in on them, and they were so close to their destination! Orihime felt as though something had to be done. With determination filled in her spirit, she ran backwards while bringing her hands to her hairpins. "Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily! Santen Kesshun, I reject!" A triangular, orange shield placed itself between Orihime and the Sweeper. The force of the impact pushed Ichigo and co. out of the Dangai and into the Soul Society.

In the aforementioned world, it was quiet and empty until a door of light opened in the sky and shot everyone into an open area. Some of them landed in normal positions while the rest were…well, weird. Smoke erupted from the crash site as it lifted into the clean air.

And how lucky was Alex when she fell flat on her behind with Bobo resting on her torso? "Botania, my chest is not a cushion for your butt. Now, get off me!" Alex strained out.

"Okay!" Bobo sang while jumping up. Gray eyes scanned their owner's surroundings and saw homes and buildings with a more ancient style to it other than Karakura's modern fashion. What also got her attention were the bare streets. "Hm?"

"Hey, is everybody alright?" It seems that Orihime's Santen Kesshun broke their fall. She checked on Ichigo as he lay with his legs over his head and back on the ground. "Ichigo, the way you landed showed tremendous artistic flare!"

"Gee, thanks a lot." He deadpanned.

Uryu stood as well, adjusting his glasses on the way up. "I knew it would be rough getting through that gate, but I had no idea it would take such a toll on my equipment. I wasn't expecting to use my spare cape so soon." He pulled out another piece of clothing from his jacket, earning looks from Chad and Ichigo.

"Oh, man, don't tell me he brought a change of clothes."

"Guys, isn't this great? We all made it and everyone's okay!" Orihime piped in.

Although, Yoruichi wouldn't let what happened in the Precipice World go anytime soon, no matter what the condition or situation. "It's _not _great! We were lucky!" The cat smacked his head into Orihime's face, injuring her eye.

She held the said body part while crying in pain. "My eye!"

"I told you not to expose your spiritual powers in there! We're fortunate that the Cleaner only made contact with the shield area. If it had even touched any part of the six-flowers themselves, we'd all be dead now."

"I…I didn't know…"

_Great, now the dang cat made her feel bad! _Alex mentally sighed while brushing the dust off her robes.

"Hey, lighten up. How was Orihime supposed to know that? And anyway, if it hadn't been for her quick thinking, we wouldn't have made it through that gate in the first place." It was nice of Ichigo to defend for the poor innocent girl.

A vein throbbed on Yoruichi's head. "I don't think any of you appreciate how serious the situation really is."

Before he could go on, Uryu had to point a major detail out, and it's the same one Bobo noticed earlier. "Listen… Doesn't it seem awfully quiet around here?"

"Yeah… Is this place _really _the Soul Society?" Ichigo said as they tried to find at least one soul in the village.

Yoruichi nodded. "Yes. And the specific area we are in is called the Rukon District. It's here in the Rukon District that souls come to live when they first arrive in the Soul Society. As a matter of fact, it's right on the perimeter of the Seireitei, where Soul Reapers live. It's the poorest section yet also the one with the greatest freedom, and it has the largest population of souls within the Soul Society."

"If that's true, then where is everybody?" The Quincy asked.

"Hey, look at those buildings over there. Why do they look so different from everywhere else?" Ichigo observed the other section, which had a more formal and well-done structure.

"Just forget about that." Yoruichi said.

Sadly, he doesn't know how fast information goes through one ear and out the other for Ichigo. "I know… I bet that's the Seirei – whatever you just mentioned – where all the Soul Reapers lived!" He ran toward the other set of buildings, ignoring Yoruichi. "Alright you Soul Reapers, here I come!"

"Wait, stop you idiot! You can't run up to the gate like that! You'll be killed!"

"Huh?" It probably wasn't the best idea Ichigo came up with. Then again, he never does listen or has great ideas.

Falling from above were enormous blocks that set into place on the ground in a flowing sequence until they entirely surround the Seireitei. Alex watched with her friends as Ichigo nearly gotten flattened by them. Dirt flew in all directions from the impact of the forming wall. Ichigo coughed out any dust that tried to get in his lungs. "Well, well," a deep voice was heard over everyone. "It's been a long time since anyone has tried to pass through the Spirit Gate without a travel permit. And I don't get many guests these days, so welcome to you, little man."

The man speaking sure did surprise them all. It was a humongous being wearing a Soul Reaper uniform, half of it resting off his body. The left arm bore metal layers of armor with the other covered by the robe's sleeve. On his head was a red, cylinder-shaped hat with two yellow tassels on the side. His sideburns were so long that they had to be tied up near his chin as they hanged. The same went for his waist-length hair.

Meanwhile, on the other end, official Soul Reapers gathered near the area. "So, the intruders have landed outside the Hakuto Gate."

"But as long as they're on that side, there's no need for us to get involved in the matter."

"I agree, because on the other side, they all have to deal with…"

A golden handle to a massive axe with red markings slammed itself down near Ichigo. It caused rubble to fly everywhere, along with a new cloud of dust. "Jidanbo."

"Whenever you are ready, give it all you've got! And good luck."

"He's a leviathan." Uryu spoke up for the rest of them. "What kind of creature do you suppose he is? He is _way _too big to be a human being."

"He is known simply as Jidanbo. He was chosen from amongst the very best warriors the Soul Society has. His task is to guard the Hakuto Gate, one of four entrances that make up the Spirit Gate." Yoruichi said.

"He's the guard? If we intend to get through this gate, it looks like we have no other choice but to defeat him."

"Yes, but that will not be an easy task, I'm afraid. In the 300 years Jidanbo has served at this post, countless invaders have tried, but not a single one has ever broken through the Hakuto Gate. Jidanbo has become a legend of power and strength."

"How are we supposed to defeat somebody like that?"

"That's where your intelligence and creativity come in. The first thing we need to do is to have a meeting to decide on a strategy. Ichigo, let's start with – AHHH!" Poor Yoruichi didn't even see it coming. He knew it would happen but didn't expect it to be so soon. "No! Chad, Orihime, come back here, both of you! Have you lost your minds?!"

"If I may, I believe the correct answer is yes." Alex stared blankly at Yoruichi with her arms crossed. "You should really keep an eye on them, especially since they're the ones that tend to go head-on into battle without thinking. Now, what kind of teacher are you if you let your students run off like that, huh?"

"Quiet you! Not another word is to leave your mouth until we find a way into the Seireitei!"

"Hey, hey, hey, I was only kidding-."

"NOT ANOTHER WORD!"

"…."

"Was that so hard?"

Alex furiously nodded her head yes. She made sure not to shake it so much that the bunny hair-tie in hair wouldn't fall out. The reason why she wore it was because Rukia gave it to her as a birthday present and wanted the her to see when they save her so she'll know how important she is to her.

"Wait… Has anyone seen Botania?" Uryu looked left and right but still couldn't find the small girl. "Do you think she ran off somewhere?"

A grave look appeared on Alex's face. Just the thought of her being gone could mean the possibly destruction of the Soul Society.

"Beep-beep!" Bobo flew right into Uryu and knocked him over. A silver staff beholding a transparent star with rings around it on top was in her hands. She used it as a steering wheel but 'lost control' and caused an accident with the dark-haired boy. "Oh, I'm sorry, Uryu! But I_ did_ honk my horn to warn you, didn't I?"

"Tell me again why she's here with us?" Uryu groaned out.

Alex shrugged with a smile, seeing that Yoruichi said that she wasn't allowed to speak for a long time. The black cat noticed and sweat dropped with a throbbing temple. "I'm beginning to wonder how you were even able to become a Soul Reaper…"

Up ahead, Jidanbo brought down his axe and forced Chad and Orihime to skid to a stop. He created a makeshift wall from the ground, surrounding him and Ichigo.

Uryu could not believe the strength the giant possessed. "He's not only huge… He's insane!"

"You two need some work on your manners. Are you country-bumpkins or something? We're civilized in this city. Here are the rules." A finger went up with each one said. "Rule number one: always wash your hands before you sit down to eat. Rule number two: don't eat food that's fallen on the floor. Rule three: battles in the city are always fought one-on-one." The last rule shocked the two. They didn't think that was entirely fair at all. "The kid with the spiky orange hair was the first to approach and challenge me, so _he _shall be my first opponent. Then, I'll come back and deal with you two. I won't take long, promise…" He stomped away to face Ichigo again.

Once the giant was out of hearing range, "Orihime," the said girl turned to see Chad whispering to her. "I'm going to wait for the right opportunity and punch a big hole through this wall. As soon as it's open, you aim Tsubaki at the big guy through the opening."

"What was that? Don't tell me you two are still plotting schemes over there." Jidanbo smirked.

Both teens sweat dropped. "Even his hearing is powerful!" said Orihime.

"Orihime, Chad! Are you there?"

"Ichigo! Yes, we're here! Are you alright?" She called back to him.

"Yeah," he answered. "I'm still alive and kickin'!"

"We're coming to help you. Just wait right there!"

"Yeah, well, here's the thing, Orihime. I actually want you and Chad to stay put and let me handle this by myself."

Orihime protested against his decision. "What?! Ichigo, this is too big a job for even _you _to handle alone!"

"Don't worry! Just wait for me over there. It'll be okay." Ichigo reassured her.

Uryu, Alex, and Bobo rushed toward the wall. "I refuse to do that!"

"Yeah, tell him!" Orihime encouraged Uryu to get through to him.

"Ichigo, we can't afford to wait around. Instead of wasting time battling the guard individually, we've gotta attack together and get pass this gate!"

"You're here too, Uryu?"

_Just one slap, one slap upside the head is all I ask for! _Alex was dying to beat the crap out of the orange-haired idiot for being a dumbass.

Uryu's temple throbbed in response to Ichigo's idiocy. "I've been here the whole time! It's just like you to waste energy on stupid comments, Ichigo."

"Oh, shut up. You're giving me a headache!"

Chad silently walked up the rock border, becoming serious as he said, "Can you defeat him?"

"Hmm…" He massaged his neck while in deep thought. "Probably."

A fist started pounding against the other side of the wall. "Probably? Don't you understand that this is a life-and-death situation we're in here?!"

Ichigo let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, don't worry about it alright?"

"How can I _not _worry, Ichigo?" Uryu said.

"Listen, I'll tell you all an interesting little story."

"Yay, story time!" Bobo cheered as she sat on Alex's shoulders.

_You're just lucky I'm trying to get back at Yoruichi…_

"Remember when Alex and I were training with Mr. Hat and Clogs? He said it was going to take 10 days for my Soul Reapers to be completely restored. But as it turned out, it only took me five days. So, what do you think we did those other five days?"

"Knowing you, probably goofing off while Alex did something productive." Uryu answered.

_Oh! Thanks for the compliment Uryu!_ Alex beamed from his words, even though she would have goofed off sooner or later.

"I fought with him the whole time, for so long, non-stop for five days and nights. He and I battled each other one-on-one while Alex continued training with Tessai."

"I see," Uryu's muffled voice said. "And, you learned all his fighting techniques, right?"

"Wrong again."

"So what's your point, then?"

"I didn't learn a single thing about fighting, but in those long hours," Ichigo grabbed his Zanpakuto's hilt as the bandages unraveled. "I gained tremendous strength and stamina." He took Zangetsu off of the red cord that keep it in place and held the sword out. The white cloth remaining on the hilt waved with the breeze that went by.

* * *

Ichigo and Jidanbo stared down at each other while in their stances. "You done making speeches yet?"

"Look pal, I never asked for you to wait, so you could've attacked anytime, right?"

Jidanbo growled inwardly with his own vein popping out. "So, you _are _a country-bumpkin after all. Didn't your folks teach you any manners? When someone is polite enough to wait for you, you should always say 'thank you'!" His mighty axe went up and came down, heading straight for the Substitute Soul Reaper who challenged him. As the weapon's sharp edge landed on its target, heaps load of rubble and debris flew in all sorts of directions. It even went over the rock wall the rest of the group was near.

Uryu shielded his eyes, as did the others. "This can't be good!"

The dirt cloud slowly dispersed, revealing a giant guard in shock and an unharmed Ichigo. "Who are you, Spiky Head?!"

The said boy was holding back Jidanbo's axe with Zangetsu, easily stopping it and causing the abrupt explosion from earlier. "I'm no expert, but isn't it also bad manners to attack before your opponent is ready?"

He seemed ticked off at the fact that a 'country-bumpkin' mocked or corrected him like a smartass. But soon after, Jidanbo started laughing so hard that he nearly blew Ichigo away in a comical fashion. Uryu, Chad, Orihime, and Alex all stared in bewilderment.

"He's laughing." Uryu deadpanned, but it sounded more unbelievable.

"You're gutsy; I'll give you that, Spiky Head. I can't remember the last time someone was able to stop the thrust of my axe." The gatekeeper rose and easily towered over Ichigo a thousand times over. "This is going to be fun. For once, I'll be able to give it everything I have. Of all the intruders who have tried to get past this gate, there have only been two who have come along before you who were powerful enough to stop my first thrust. But _that _is where the story ends, because neither they, nor you, could ever hope to fend off my second thrust!"

Ichigo prepared himself for the upcoming attack and once again stopped Jidanbo's axe. It was pretty powerful, though, for it even pushed Ichigo's hair back as sparks flew.

"Are you still standing?" Both had difficulty either holding up or pushing down the other's blade. "I guess I get to keep trying my attacks on you, then! See how you like this." Jidanbo let out a short laugh, bringing his axe away from the orange-haired boy. "Jidan Ten Strike Festival! One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six! Seven!" Each time the giant Soul Reaper counted, he swung his axe at Ichigo.

"What in the world is he doing?" Uryu asked, mostly to himself.

"Uh… Seven! Eight! Twelve! Nine! Six! Uh, wait," Jidanbo held the weapon high in the air. "I've never had to count this high before. But I must be at ten by now, so it's time to finish this!" With a single swing of his axe, he ended up leaving a crack in the gate behind him and sliced the rocks surrounding them in half. The amount of force from the impact caused an eruption of boulders to go up and fall down on Ichigo's group.

Orihime was scared as she looked left and right, only to see a shower of debris hit the ground. Uryu barely dodged them while Chad absorbed a few blows with his muscles and shrugged it off like it was nothing. Alex and Bobo frantically ran around and tried to avoid getting squished by those things. Well, Alex did most of the running since Bobo sat on her shoulders giggling and having a blast for some strange reason. There were a few times when the brunette destroyed the remaining boulders using her bare hands and feet. The training she had with Tessai and Ururu during the last five days of her training really paid off! Her kido improved as well! And while Mr. Urahara and Ichigo fought, she was able to pick up a few of his fighting techniques unlike a certain spiky-headed ninny.

Finally, the madness died down and everyone watched the battle before them. "Got him…I think." The bottom half of the makeshift wall crumbled and fell. The smoke that hid Ichigo subsided, revealing the said boy standing tall with Zangetsu held behind him. One hand helped kept the sword up as his robes moved along with the wind.

"What? That's impossible! How can you still be standing after that attack, Spiky Head?"

"I agree," Uryu said, "it _does _seem impossible."

Orihime became bubbly and filled with relief. "But he's still alright!"

"Whoa! Carrot Top sure is strong!" Bobo waved her staff around as her gray eyes watched in amazement.

Alex couldn't describe what just happened. Even if she had seen it on television, witnessing it in person was a different story. Did she really see Ichigo easily chop off the blade of Jidanbo's axe? And is that even the same boy she trained with just a couple of weeks ago? _Amazing… If this is Ichigo's power after the training, I can't imagine how _I _will do in battle. _Her hands involuntarily formed into tight fists, mostly from anxiety and a little excitement.

_Now I understand. _Chad had his usually expressionless face on but regardless felt impressed and astounded. _What Ichigo gained from his training wasn't fighting skills, and it wasn't just strength and stamina either. _

"_Ichigo _has_ spiritual power far beyond that of most Soul Reapers. But he has a long way to go, because he's still inexperienced at wielding that great power."_ Kisuke once explained.

_So before, when he confronted other Soul Reapers, the only thing that Ichigo was lacking was experience. And now that he's gained that…_

"Are you finished, gatekeeper?" Ichigo opened his eyes, going back into a fighting stance. "Cause if you are, then it's my turn now!"

_I have a feeling he's gonna be so powerful, it's scary._

Beads of sweat rolled down Jidanbo's face. He held his head back in slight fear at what Spiky Head was capable of, but he quickly shook that fear off. "I'm not done. I'm not done! I just have to bring out some more weaponry!" As he said, he brought out yet another weapon from inside of his robes.

"He's got another axe!" announced Uryu.

Alex shot him an annoyed look. "You don't say? I thought it was a bow and arrow."

The Quincy returned her look with an icy glare and a throbbing temple. "Didn't Yoruichi tell you to keep quiet?"

"Sorry, I didn't feel like missing the chance to annoy my favorite Quincy." She smiled innocently.

"R-Really?" Uryu felt a little flattered and took it as a compliment. "Wow, thanks!"

"No problem." _Just leave him be and don't rain on his parade, Alex. He'll figure out the meaning of sarcasm soon enough…_

Taking both mighty axes in hand, Jidanbo used his immense muscles to break off the armor on his left arm. His face turned red with veins popping out in the process. The armor shattered and fell in front of Ichigo, who didn't budge a single inch as the pieces piled up. "My ultimate attack. See if you can withstand the Jidan Bonsai Strike Festival!"

Just before Jidanbo touched Ichigo, "Sorry, pal, but I'm gonna break your axes." He flicked his wrist, faced the silver edge of the Zanpakuto upwards, and then sliced both of the giant's axes off the handles. This time, the blast was so powerful that Orihime had to use her Santen Kesshun.

The aftermath of Ichigo's attack cleared most of the battlegrounds. He even forced Jidanbo so far back that he fell and slide on his rear end. "What… What was that?"

"Wow, if I hadn't have seen it, I wouldn't have believed it." Uryu said. "Ichigo just sent that giant flying!"

The gatekeeper jumped back on his feet before scratching the side of his head with a chuckle. "Whoa, you almost got me that time! I can't believe I slipped and fell on my behind. It's been a long time since that happened. Uh, what's that weird look on your face for?" He pointed a thick digit toward Ichigo as he indeed gave him a confused sort of look. "I bet you think _you're _the one who sent me flying backwards, don't you? You should really know better than that! But it's typical of a country-bumpkin like you to believe that a gatekeeper like me could be blown away so easily. All I have to do is make one more swing with my mighty axe and –." Jidanbo was horrified to see that his precious axes were now down to the golden handle. His shook so much that more drops of sweat formed on his face.

Yoruichi hopped up on a large piece of debris, or possible the axe. "Huh… It appears Jidanbo's mighty axes have been modified somewhat."

"Well? Are you gonna say something or just stand there?" Ichigo leaned Zangetsu on his shoulder. He waited for the giant to respond but only received silence. For a short moment that is.

"My axes… My axes are ruined!" And cue the waterworks from the insane leviathan. "Why did you have to do it? Why did you have to destroy my beautiful babies!?" He continuously banged the remains of his weapons on the ground, causing Ichigo to lift off one foot each time. It finally stopped, but Jidanbo still whimpered with tears coming out.

The reaction kind of took everyone off guard. Ichigo sweat dropped in annoyance at the dang crying. _Why is it always me that gets stuck with the crazy people?_

Uryu slumps his shoulders forward. "This giant is such a big tough guy on the outside but on the inside…"

"He's more like a little boy." Orihime finished for him.

"Look, I'm sorry, about your axes and everything. But hey, I couldn't let you keep swinging them at me! Although, I guess I should have destroyed one of them and let you keep the other one. My bad." Ichigo fanned his hand to help the guard calm down.

Jidanbo sniffled a little and looked up at him. "No, you not bad. Even though you're my enemy, you still care. Instead of only thinking of your quest and your desire to get through the get, you're actually concerned for your opponent and his axes! What a good person you are, my spiky-headed enemy. What a generous heart you have!" He carefully held Ichigo with the tips of his fingers.

"Well, it's only natural to wanna console someone who cries so much, even if they are really…big."

"I know. I'm acting like a big baby." Jidanbo stood up and ended his teary-tantrum. "All that crying and moaning over a couple of old axes! I'm nothing but an embarrassment of a man. I'm a total loser…"

". . .Huh?"

"A total loser!" The giant shouted, arms shooting out into the bright sky. "You beat me, not only as a warrior and gate-keeper; you have defeated me as a man as well! It has been 300 years since I became the keeper of the Hakuto gate. And in all those years, _never _have I lost a challenge or allowed anyone to pass this way. I thought the day would never come, but you were the first man to defeat me." With his left hand, he wiped away any leftover tears before standing straight again. "Therefore, I, Jidanbo, grant you passage through the Hakuto Gate."

He didn't believe it at first, but Ichigo actually did it. "Whoa, cool!"

* * *

"You're allowing _all _of us to pass?" A stupefied Uryu said.

"That's right. I was decisively defeated in battle by your leader. As a result, I have no right to stop anyone in your group."

"What?!" Uryu had red signs furiously shaking above his head as he jutted a finger at their so-called 'leader'. "Whoever said anything about Ichigo being our leader? Absolutely not!"

Ichigo simply stared at Uryu with a comical expression. "It's no big deal, but why are you upset, Uryu?"

"So your name is Ichigo, huh Spiky Head?" Jidanbo asked.

"That's right. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki."

"That's a pretty cute name for someone who seems to take himself so seriously, don't you think?"

His temple throbbed as his teeth were akin to a shark's. "My name is not cute! Ichi means 'number one', and Go stands for 'guardian' and that's what I am!"

The giant chuckled at his ranting. "Yeah, whatever. You take care now."

"If you want, I could tell you why he thinks your name is cute." Alex whispered in Ichigo's ear with a hand blocking the everyone else out.

"What? Really? Then go ahead and spill it!" Ichigo quietly said, curious as to why some people thought his name meaning 'number one guardian' was so adorable.

A devious grin spread across the brunette's face, almost like the Cheshire Cat's. "I'll tell you, but only if you do me a little favor…"

"…Actually, I think I can wait until we get back home to find out." Ichigo sweat dropped and slowly backed away. He didn't know what went on in that mischievous mind of hers, but the favor surely wasn't going to be anything beneficial.

_Damn, all I wanted him to do was kick Uryu's ass for me. Why do people always think I have crazy things in store for them when I'm trying to make a deal with them? _Alex sighed while crossing her arms.

The gatekeeper placed a large hand on the West Gate's door. "I don't know why you are so determined to pass through this gate, but those you will meet on the other side are all very strong."

Ichigo faced Jidanbo again and smirked, "I'm aware of that."

"Very well. As long as you _think _you know what you're getting into… Now, stand back, and I'll open the gate for you." Jidanbo slid both hands underneath the door. "This is not going to be easy. It's been closed a long time." He began lifting the stupid-heavy entrance as his muscles' veins popped out. A bright light shined while the gate slowly opened. All seven members of the rescue group watched in awe, Bobo and Orihime being the most dramatic of them all.

"Amazing…" said Ichigo.

"I never thought anyone could lift something so heavy!" Orihime held onto Botania's small hand. The star child switched to her while Alex spoke with Ichigo.

The aforementioned boy noticed that a humongous Soul Reaper stood still yet quivered with the massive gate being held by his hands. He jogged to him to check out the problem. "Jidanbo, what is it? Why are you frozen like that? Is something wrong?" Ichigo saw an unknown figured approach them up ahead. They wore the same Soul Reaper uniform but had a Haori (a white overcoat) with the sleeves cut off. "Who is that?" He demanded.

"That is none other than… The Captain of Squad 3, Gin Ichimaru!" Jidanbo stated in a frightened tone.

The Captain gave them a fox-like grin. His eyes were kept in narrow slits the entire time, not once opening any wider for anyone to see. He had short silver hair that stopped near his chin. At his waist rested his Zanpakuto under his robe. His mocking smile had seemed to widen a little at the sight of the two Soul Reapers outside of the Hakuto gate. _Oh my, now why in the world would they need to pass through the Spirit Gate? Unless of course, they're not official Soul Reapers of the Seireitei. How silly of me; it's the only answer. Oh… _Gin's attention shifted to the brown-haired Soul Reaper. _Now, what kind of spiritual pressure is _she_ emitting?_

* * *

_**I'm stopping it here because I felt like it :P. **_

_**Just kidding. I just didn't want to have so much in this one chapter to edit. And yes, I'm referring Yoruichi as a 'he' until she transforms into her original form. **_

_**Anyway, Ciao!**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**I've noticed that a lot of people favorite and are following this story and me as an author. Wow, I never knew that this would actually get that many readers! Well, enough of my rambling on. Let's get this show on the road!**_

_**Disclaimer: I will not repeat myself 50,000 times. If I didn't own it then, I surely don't own it now.**_

_**Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Chapter 19**

_So, this is Gin Ichimaru. He's even more fox-like and mysterious in person. _Green eyes scanned over the grinning Captain of Squad 3. It mocked ad annoyed the Substitute Soul Reaper to no end. Her hands twitched every now and then, wanting to use her sword on him with each passing second. _I can't figure this guy's intention out. Back home in my other world, I would try to find anything on Gin but always wind up with nothing. I know he doesn't serve _him _willingly. There's another reason why he's done what he did, and I'm gonna find out what._

"Aww, it looks like I have a fan." Gin called out from the edge of the Seireitei.

Alex blinked furiously before realizing that _she _is the 'fan'. She jutted a finger at him with shark teeth taking place of normal ones. "Let's get something straight, Fox Boy! I am _not _your fan and never will be for as long as I live! Ya got me?"

"Ooo, aren't you a feisty one?"

Her teeth gritted angrily while the blush creeping on her cheeks was forced back. "No wonder why you're not one of my favorite characters anymore…" She muttered, hoping that no one else heard her or she would be receiving suspiciously looks the entire time there. If Alex wasn't careful, something could slip out and would blow her cover, and the Soul Society is definitely not a good place for it to happen.

Meanwhile, Ichigo had not once taken his half glaring eyes off of the silver-haired man. He is obviously a threat to them and seems to be powerful by the way Jidanbo trembled with fear. "Ok now, who the hell is this?"

"Captain of Squad 3, Gin Ichimaru." Yoruichi answered. _But I do wonder why Alex referred to him as 'Fox Boy'._

A breeze passed by and hit Gin's Soul Reaper attire and hair. "Oh, unacceptable…" Something flashed by Jidanbo's bare arm before it left a deep gash. Blood flew out as the giant winced in pain, dropping to one knee as he gave in. The injured limb hung by his side as he dared not to look up. He kept his eyes closed and hoped the wound would stop hurting.

"Jidanbo, no!" Ichigo and his friends watched the Gatekeeper be brought down by a single strike.

"Unacceptable." Gin repeated while standing up straight. "Being the guardian of the gate doesn't mean you're supposed to open the gate."

_Jidanbo… _Alex felt the need to do something about this. But sadly, she had to let Ichigo do this. He's the leader and the strongest of the group, so shouldn't he be the one to take care of this guy? _Damn it all! _

Gin began to sense that same spiritual pressure rise again. _Now, what could possibly be going on with my fan? Is she upset because I gave a little cut to the Gatekeeper? Aw, how adorable._

_How careless of me. _Yoruichi glanced at the groaning giant and the Captain standing not so far from them. _I didn't think that someone of _his _caliber would show up. Even if these kids have gotten stronger, the strength of a captain is beyond their imagination. They cannot fight him; we must avoid that potentially disastrous situation at all costs. _

The guardian of the Hakuto Gate barely raised his head, but it was high enough for him to speak to Squad 3's Captain eye-to-eye. "I defended the gate and lost. Once I lost, I had to open the gate. There was nothing else I could do." He explained. However, his excuse didn't satisfy Gin.

"What you're saying makes no sense." Said captain walked up to the wounded Soul Reaper, his head low with silver hair covering some of his grinning expression. "A gatekeeper who loses isn't supposed to open the gate. When a gatekeeper loses, it means death."

Ichigo couldn't stand it any longer and attacked Gin head on. It was stopped with the Captain's own blade before both opponents retreated. Their feet skidded on the floor, causing dust to go up and about. The orange headed boy scowled at the man, his black and silver edged Zanpakuto pointing at him. "You wanna tell me just what the hell you think you're doing?"

"Yes, Ichigo, what _are _you doing?!" A certain black cat comically gaped at the idiot boy with a sweat drop.

Ignoring Yoruichi, "What's the big idea, showing up now and trying to butt in, you stupid friggin ass clown? Anyone who's pathetic enough to make an appearance in order to attack an unarmed man deserves to be killed."

"You're sure a funny kid. And you're not scared of me?" Gin questioned.

"Hell no." Short, sweet, and simple.

"Careful, boy! You must stop Ichigo! It is best we retreat for now." The black cat suggested.

But the Substitute wouldn't agree with him so easily. He just had to be difficult to deal with. "Huh? Why? I'm only just getting started here! There is no way I'm gonna submit to this guy!"

"Don't be a dumbass, you dumbass!" Alex scowled at him. "It's obvious that Fox Boy is pretty strong, so why don't you just listen for once and fall back? Besides, Jidanbo's hurt and should be taken care of fast."

"Just shut up and quit worrying about me, and I now that we should tend to his wounds! Look, I'll be fine, so just let me finish this guy off!"

_Ichigo… So then, it's him. _The fox-grinning captain thought. "You must be Ichigo Kurosaki."

The said boy turned at the mention of his name. "You know about me? But how could you?"

"Just as I thought," Gin ignored his question. "How very predictable." He started walking away, leaving a slightly confused Ichigo.

"Huh?... Hey, where are you going? Hey, wait!"

"All the more reason why I can't let you pass." The Captain's back faced Ichigo, showing off the diamond with the Japanese symbol for '3' in it. He stopped a good distance away from them and held his sword out.

Ichigo wondered just what he was up to. "So then why are you standing so far back, unless you're planning on throwing that dagger?"

"It's _not _a dagger. In fact, it's my Zanpakuto." Getting into a fighting stance, Gin held the short blade in position as strong winds blew past everyone. "Impale him, Shinzo!" The tip of the released Zanpakuto shot itself toward Ichigo. He hurriedly defended himself using his own but was nonetheless forced into Jidanbo. Both were pushed back, and the gate no longer had anyone to hold it up.

"Ichigo, Jidanbo!" Alex lifted her foot up high and slammed it in the ground, causing six tall pillars to pop up around the two. "Bakudo No. 37: Tsuriboshi!" Blue ropes of spirit particles appeared and attached themselves to each pillar, creating a safety cushion for her friends. Unfortunately, on the way back, Ichigo managed to crack his neck and have blood spat out of his mouth before landing. The Kido spell slowly faded and set both the Substitute and Guardian on the floor. Alex ran to her friend after the spell was completely gone.

"Ichigo!" Both Uryu and Orihime called out while the bubbly girl and Chad ran after him.

Yoruichi stared in horror at the closing door that quickly fell. "No, the gate!"

On the other side, Gin's Zanpakuto shrunk in size as its wielder withdrew it right before the gate closed. He waved goodbye, leaning his body sideways with a hand on the other hip. "Bye-bye now."

The large slab slammed shut. There was dust flying near the ground from the force. Silence took over the group as they checked on Ichigo and Jidanbo. The larger of the two lay on his back unconscious as the other furiously rubbed his head. Zangetsu was standing up with the tip stuck in the earth.

"Ichigo, are you alright?" A concerned and sweet girl asked.

"What happened?" asked the Quincy.

He looked up but answered neither of them. "Look at the gate! That bastard…" The last part he said more to himself.

"Well, it seems that you're alright." Yoruichi stated.

Ichigo sighed mentally. "I'm sorry guys. It's my fault that the gate closed."

"No, don't start blaming yourself. Your opponent was Gin Ichimaru. It couldn't be helped. You should just be glad that you were not hurt."

Instead of agreeing with him, Ichigo growled. His hand balled themselves into tight fists before he stood and took Zangetsu out. As he turned to Orihime, "Would you do me a favor? Go over there and help Jidanbo, if you can."

The ginger nodded. "Mhm."

"That's strange…" A little boy's voice said in the distant. Next thing they knew, there were people coming out of nowhere.

"Well, looky what we got here." Ichigo said.

"They must have been hiding until now." Uryu added.

"But why?" The bubbly girl wondered. Murmurs and whispering was exchanged between the souls of the Rukon District. On their bodies were ragged yet somewhat decent robes and a few other accessories if wanted to add on.

"Well, obviously, we were frightening to them." Yoruichi answered. "Souls who come to the Soul Society illegally without a Soul Reaper escort are called Ryoka and are said to be the root cause of all kinds of trouble."

Ichigo rested Zangetsu on his shoulder. "They must think that we're their enemies." On cue, Uryu and Orihime prepared themselves for any soul that would attack. Chad, Bobo, and Alex were the only ones who either looked around at the gathering crowd or stood still.

"Please stop; allow me to introduce myself." An elder man stepped out from the clump of souls as he calmly requested for the group to relax before politely bowing to them. "I am the elder of this area, which is known as the Rukon District. All of us witnessed the events that occurred just now, and we would like to welcome you as Jidanbo's true saviors."

* * *

A while later, more souls in the area circled around the injured Soul Reaper. The atmosphere was filled with less tension after everyone seemed to be harmless and that Ichigo and his friends wouldn't attack the defenseless inhabitants. Orihime stood near the large wound and examined its condition. As she did so, people conversed amongst themselves, mostly of what happened not too long ago.

The elder of the area spoke to most of the group above the people's voices, "This place is full of many Soul Reapers that are rotten and incorrigible. But Jidanbo, a native of the Rukon District, is not one of them. He's always been so kind to us."

"We all witnessed how you went against Gin Ichimaru in order to save Jidanbo. You must surely be a good person; we can see that." Another man added as he stood near Ichigo. The said boy scratched his face in response to the compliment. Alex gave him a sort of 'I really want to slap the mess out of you' look for a reason she still didn't know why. Maybe it was because he hasn't said "you're welcome" to the people of the Rukon District. "But still, what a terrible wound."

All eyes brought their attention to the giant's hurt arm with a certain caring ginger looking over it. She placed both hands on her hips before turning to the rest of them. "Right, there's no nee to worry; I should be able to heal Jidanbo's wounds!" A sudden uproar of amazed comments and murmurs broke out from the crowd. Ichigo was the most surprised of all.

"Huh? You're kidding me!" He leaned slightly forward with his arms crossed. "You really _can _heal that wound?"

"Sure. Just leave it to me!" As she stretched her arms out, Orihime called out the names of her healing Shun Shun Rikka. "Shun'o, Ayame," two of the six flowers were manifested from their sealed forms and floated near their master's face.

"Do you need some help?" The blonde fairy said.

Ayame, a quiet fairy wearing a traditional dress bigger than her body, floated next to Shun'o. "Hello!"

"Could you lend me your powers?" Orihime asked in a sweet and polite manner.

"Of course we will! As your power, we are here awaiting your command. All you have to do it recite the spirit chant, remember?" Both spirit beings flew up as Orihime nodded and prepared to recite their kotodoma.

"Right! Soten Kisshun, I reject!" A barrier in the shape of a half oval covered Jidanbo's wound and began healing it.

"Wow, that's truly amazing. So, when exactly did you get that power?" Ichigo's question went unanswered as a childish voice was heard trying to get through the bunch.

"Excuse me, please let me through. Move it!" To be honest, the little boy's voice sounded too adorable and sweet to be taken seriously. After finally making it in, the curly haired child spotted the person he was looking for. "Hey, over here! It's me! It's Yuichi! Don't you remember?"

Chad had to think about it before realizing that it really was him. "Yuichi Shibata?"

"Right! Yuichi the Cockatiel! You remember now, don'tcha?"

* * *

Chad and Yuichi left to catch up while the rest of them went off in different paths to go sight-seeing if possible. Alex thought about doing a little walking around the Rukon District as well to see how the souls lived there. It kind of reminded her of the bustling streets of New York City or Tokyo. Many people either walked and chatted with their friends, played games, or were trying to buy something from the vendors' merchandise. Orihime said something about finding teriyaki covered ice cream, and Uryu followed her while telling her that no one in the Soul Society would actually have or sell it. As for Bobo, let's just hope that she doesn't hurt or break anything or anyone during their stay.

The brown-haired Substitute Soul Reaper casually strolled along a river stream, the fish living in it swimming against the current. She stared at the shining river as a warm, fuzzy feeling spread throughout her being. The shimmering water reminded her of rain and the puddles it creates after a while. It may sound strange, but Alex actually loved it when it rained, especially ones that aren't too light or heavy. It made her want to always find someone to snuggle up with while listening to its repeated pitter-patter.

Bringing herself back to reality, she raised her hand to touch the hair-tie Rukia gave her. Alex felt her lips tug a little, smiling softly at the memories she and the petite Soul Reaper had. She quietly chuckled to herself as she thought of all the times Rukia would always beat Ichigo to a pulp if he spoke out of terms or was just being an idiot. She missed those times. _Don't worry, Rukia. I'll make sure Ichigo gets the discipline he needs while we try to find and save you._

She hadn't realized it, but the brunette ended up sitting down near the river as she leaned on her propped up knees. A tiring sigh left Alex as she stood up. "I wonder what else I can do here other than stare at a river." But to be honest, she might have needed it to take a break from the rescue mission.

"Weeeee!"

The sound of a little girl giggling and carrying on made Alex stiffen in fear. "I was hoping to get a little time to myself from that menace..." She slumped her shoulders while sweat dropping. "Just ignore her and maybe she won't even notice that you're here." Alex said to herself as she continued her stroll with a faster speed. Thankfully, the bubbly star child didn't see her.

The sun began to set as the sky became a little darker with an orange hue to it. It made it seem beautiful and soothed the Substitute while she slowed her pace to casual walk. Alex took out her Zanpakuto, its silver-edged, ebony blade refracting the setting sun. "When will I get the chance to use you, Shi e no Setsuka? I'm dying to know what you look like and how powerful you are..."

"Who are you talking to?"

Alex yelped in a high tone as her hands shot up in the air. _Wait a second... _She recognized the voice and turned around to see her friend and classmate stare at her with his arms crossed. "Ichigo, what the hell are you playing ninja for, especially on me?"

"Yeah right, like I actually intended on sneaking up on you just for kicks. You're the one who gets scared so damn easily."

"Whatever!" The brunette faced the other way, obviously trying to hide the fact she is in fact scared easily. She just didn't want to admit it; that's the type of person she was most of the time. "Did you need something from me, or did you already satisfy yourself with my yelping and frightened reaction?"

Ichigo had to be patient with her, but he wasn't going to insult her or anything. "Actually, I wanted to say thank you for saving me and Jidanbo. I never knew you were strong enough to create those six giant pillars without breaking a sweat until now. Those training hours with Ururu and Tessai must have been worth it, huh?"

"Oh, they were worth it alright. Tessai even taught me a few more Kido spells for Bakudo and Hado, and Ururu of course help toughened up my strength. Now, I can deal more damage and go up against a couple of strong guys in a hand-to-hand based fight." She showed off by flexing her normal arm, a playful smirk breaking across her features.

The orange-haired boy smiled at his friend's progress before it faded. "Hey, uh, remember when Rukia was taken away by her brother and Renji Abarai?" Alex was surprised to see that Ichigo got the name right but nodded anyways. "Well, I know that you cried over me while it rained, and it kind of bothered me to see you like that..." He scratched the back of his head with a comical straight face. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't cry for me anymore because it just… I just don't like seeing you all sad like that, okay?! There, I said it!" He threw his hands up in the air in frustration as he turned looked away with a comical face expression.

Alex rapidly blinked her green eyes, sinking in what the Substitute said. His words made her feel fluttery and weird in her insides. Had her tears really affected Ichigo that much? _Wow... I really don't know how to respond to that. _She gently shut her eyes and calmed the butterflies flying around in her stomach. As she re-opened them, a sigh escaped her lips. "Alright, I'll try not to cry for you, _if _your ass doesn't get handed to you like the last time." She smirked.

Ichigo faced the brunette with a half-smile. "Don't you worry about that; I won't be so easily defeated while we're here. I'm worried that _you're _gonna be the one who gets their butt whopped."

Even though he didn't mean for it to tick her off, he received a slap upside the head courtesy of yours truly. "Oh, please! How much you wanna bet that _you'll _be the one that gets beaten first?"

"I doubt that." He rubbed the sore spot on his head as he winced in pain, one eye giving a look at his friend. "And why do you always have to abuse me every damn time?!"

"Simple: it amuses me to see your reaction."

"Why you –!" Ichigo started after the giggling girl as he reached for her neck.

As he tried leaping at her, Alex side-stepped out of his way, causing him to land flat on his face. "Sorry, I can't hear you with all of that dirt in your mouth." She held a hand near her ear playfully while Ichigo mumbled a threat. He would've let her have it soon, but maybe he'll leave her be this time. That is, if she doesn't tick him off again.

* * *

The sky darkened in preparation for the moon to shine its lunar light. The lanterns in the village lit up as a result to help guide those still out on the dirt paths at this late hour. Inside the Elder's home, the group of seven were discussing about what to do next, although Botania fell asleep on Alex's lap the second they started talking. The brunette sat with her legs on top of the other folded near her body.

"Are you serious? You really want us to give up trying to get pass the gate?" Ichigo said as he looked down on Yoruichi.

"No, I don't mean give up completely. Once the gate is open, it's only logical that the security on the other side will become that much tighter, which means that continuing with the same strategy is not necessarily the best approach." A diagram of the four gates surrounding the Soul Society was drawn for all to see, an 'X' written next to the Hakuto Gate. Everyone sat around a small cauldron being heated in its own space.

"I have to agree with you on that." Uryu said. He and Orihime sat on their feet as their hands lay on their laps.

Chad sat Indian-style as did Ichigo. "So then, what about the other gates?"

"There won't be much difference than what we faced with this one."

"Well, in that case, what the hell are we gonna do?" Ichigo crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, isn't it obvious? If we cannot use the gate, then naturally we must enter another way." Yoruichi turned to the old man. "Elder, do you know the whereabouts of Kukaku Shiba?"

The village elder's eyes widened at the request. "What? You can't be serious!"

Ignoring him, Yoruichi kept calm. "As you may know, she is someone who likes to change her place of residence; I haven't been able to find out where she currently lives."

The elder clenched his fist as his blood nearly boiled. "Kukaku Shiba... Are you sure? Don't tell me you're planning to go through the wall like _that_!"

"Uh, like what?" Orihime asked.

An upcoming stampede of hooves was heard closing in on them. They all straightened up at the sound; it even woke Botania up from her nap as she sluggishly rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Huh? What's that noise?"

"Sounds like a stampede." Orihime answered for Ichigo.

On the other side, an animal came to an abrupt halt which threw their rider off, sending them flying through the traditional doors. A man dressed in white hakama pants and a matching sleeveless top with a red obi sash tumbled and fell to the floor. He got up in his beige sandals as he used his red finger-less gloved hand to rub his white and red bandana covered head. A pair of glasses blocked his eyes from the eight people watching him.

"Anyone know who this guy is?" Before someone could answer him, a brown boar with a red bow came in, dearly surprising the orange haired teen. "Huh!? Are you kidding? What in the – what's a boar doing here?!"

The unknown man sighed as he dusted off his gray vest with a golden ring design. "Well, well, well, thrown again by ol' Bonnie. There's gotta be another way to travel." He gave a two finger salute to the elder. "Hey, long time no see, old man!"

"Ganju, no! What are you doing here? I think you should go home!" Such a welcome the elder gave him.

"What gives? Look, I know it's been a while, but is that anyway to greet an old friend? I mean, what are your guests here gonna think?" He looked around at said people and spotted two from the seven that stood out the most. "What do we have here?" He took his shades off, showing an eyebrow with a strange design. Then again, the whole look he gave is pretty...unique. "Would someone explain to me why there are stinkin' Soul Reapers here?"

"What did you just say?" Ichigo spoke for both him and Alex while the latter stood with Bobo held tiredly in her arms.

"Ichigo, don't do or say anything that'll cause any more trouble..."

Unfortunately, the strange man, Ganju, would do the job himself. He walked up to Ichigo before patting his cheek. "What's the matter, your ears not working? What I said was: 'would someone explain to me why there are stinkin' Soul Reapers here'." He repeated in a mocking and childish tone.

"Huh?"

"Huh?" Ganju grabbed Ichigo's chin while pushing his cheeks up, making him pout. "Well, say something, ya sniffling dandelion!"

Said 'dandelion's' temple throbbed as he sucker punched the mess out of Ganju. He flew in a comical motion and slid to the ground, quickly shooting back up while holding on to his hurt face. "Hey, just what're you trying to do?! Are you pickin' a fight with me?!"

"You started it, pig straddler!" The strong Substitute Soul Reaper held a shaking fist up as his veins throbbed in pure anger. "You walked in and picked on me for no reason! What kind of a moron are you?!"

"Moron?!"

"Yeah!"

"Are you stupid!?"

"No, I'm not stupid!"

"I have a name, ya know!"

"I know, and I thought it was Stupid!"

Orihime held her face while she and the rest of them heard or watched the useless bickering between them. "What should we do about this? We've got to stop those two!"

"Quit a mess. This is just what I expected." The elder then took a sip of his drink in a calm manner.

"Now, now, Orihime, why don't we let this go on for a little longer? Things are just getting started." Alex sipped her own cup of tea, closing her eyes from the soothing, delicious taste and aroma it gave off. Orihime sweatdropped as she smiled sheepishly at her brown haired friend.

"Come on! This is no time to sit there while drinking tea!" Uryu shouted while jutted a finger out at the fight going on. "Just tell us who the guy is!"

"Are you kidding me? You really don't know who I am?" Ganju said as he leaned on his wrist.

"No, I don't."

"Me neither."

"No."

"I don't wanna know."

"I wanna know, I wanna know!"

"Bobo, please go back to sleep."

Ganju smirked. "Then that settles it. My given name is Ganju: the self-proclaimed Deep Red Bullet of the West Rukon, and self-proclaimed but universally acknowledged Boss Man of the West Rukon, and finally, the self-proclaimed # 1 Soul Reaper Hater of West Rukon!" Each title had its own pose and subtitle.

"Self-proclaimed!?" All but Ichigo said in unison.

Said teen flipped his hand back. "You forgot self-proclaimed fool!"

"Say what?" Ganju shot daggers at Ichigo.

"You heard me."

As a response, Ganju tackled him out of the residence before making a thud to the dirt ground. Ichigo's friends all ran to help but was stopped by another unknown. "Hold it right there! We won't let you get in the Boss Man's way."

"But look, if you really want to fight someone –."

"We will be happy to oblige you." Another finished.

"Ganju's henchmen." Uryu stated.

"What do we do now?" Orihime got in a fighting stance, ready to defend herself.

"See that?" Chad started.

"They're all riding on boars." They all said.

"Well, that's a surprise." Alex spat out with a comical expression.

"Get out of here while you still can!" Meanwhile, Ganju stood over a fallen Ichigo as he jutted a finger at him. "Now listen, as long as long I'm alive, no Soul Reaper will ever be allowed to step one stickin' inside West Rukon –."

Having quite enough of his blabbering, Ichigo planted his foot square in Ganju's face while standing on one hand. It's pretty amazing how he was able to stay in the same pose as he flew away. His henchmen called out for him as flashing signs appeared over them. "Boss Man!"

"Shut up. Why don'tcha give it a rest?" Ichigo straightened up as he rubbed his slightly hurt cheek. "Look, if you wanna fight, then I'll fight you!"

Ganju tried to soothe his face from the painful hit the orange haired Soul Reaper gave him. "Why you… You punched my ruggedly handsome face! Not once, but twice!"

"Actually, the second time around was a kick, you idiot!" Ichigo corrected.

"That's enough fighting, Ichigo!" Yoruichi stepped out of the house while standing near Orihime. "You should not be using up your strength in a meaningless brawl."

"Hey, don't forget he started the fight! If you want us to stop, then tell _him_."

The black cat clenched its sharp teeth as he glared at Ichigo. _Getting all worked up over such a silly thing, the fool!_

"The way I see things, you and I are destined to fight; we don't have a choice in this matter." Ganju and Ichigo faced off against the other, ready to engage in their struggle. Ganju unsheathed a crimson handled, short and wide blade and held it up as it refracted the moon's light.

The village's elder hurried outside, glad that it wasn't too late just yet. "Stop this fighting, Ganju! Can't you see this man and woman are good Soul Reapers?"

"That's enough! Look, Soul Reapers are Soul Reapers. To me, there _is _no good or bad."

"You're wrong, Ganju..."

"Now, get ready!" Said Soul Reaper Hater charged toward Ichigo at a fast pace. The only problem is that the other isn't wielding a weapon at the moment.

Uryu and Orihime noticed as they were worried for their friend. "Not good. How does Ichigo expect to handle him without his Zanpakuto?"

Chad was way ahead of them as he ran near the door before chucking the bandaged covered sword. Ichigo easily caught Zangetsu, thanking Chad for his help. "I got it; thanks, Chad!" The white cloth unraveled as the owner prepared himself for what is to come.

"Very impressive; I was wondering when you'd use your Zanpakuto. However..." Ganju swung his short sword as it collided with Ichigo's long blade. Sparks flew from the impact as both sides struggled with the other's force. "Don't think that you can win this just because you have the bigger weapon." He drew an invisible dust circle next to Zangetsu, stomping on it to activate a sort of power used on it. It engulfed most of the long blade as Ganju forced it down, shocking the orange haired boy. "Sink!" All that was left was a small portion of the wider end and the clothed handle.

"Huh? The ground is gone!" Ichigo said.

"It's like quicksand!"

"Just hang in there, Ichigo!"

Said boy takes a hard kick courtesy of Ganju and is sent back a few yards or more away. His sword is sadly left behind, almost entirely sunken in the ground. Ichigo wipes his face off as he stood. "Using weird tricks won't help you win!"

The Soul Reaper Hater held his weapon high before bringing it down upon the defenseless boy. Regardless, Ichigo grabbed Ganju's wrist and slammed his fist straight in the man's face. This caused him to loosen his hold on his weapon as he held his injured face in pain. Ichigo limply shook his hand while staring blankly at the burly man. "All I can say is that if _that _didn't drop you, then you are one tough warrior."

Ganju brought the fight up-close as they threw multiple punches and dodged or absorbed the hits. Ichigo took the big man's shirt and judo flipped him to the ground. He slid on his back for a good couple of seconds as Ichigo leaped in the air and landed a hard foot to the now empty space where Ganju was a second ago. The tall Soul Reaper stood as his opponent spit at some random spot while still holding his fists up. "What's the matter? It's not over yet."

Indeed it wasn't. The dark haired man dashed forward to Ichigo as both readied themselves for the attack. Right when Ganju was close to him, a large red clock on one of his henchmen went off, putting them all in a state of comical fear. Ganju attempted to skid to a halt but failed as he tripped and slid on his face before leaping back up with scratch marks on his face and a bloody nose. "What time is it, now?!"

"It's nine already, Boss Man!" The one wearing a pink kimono and the clock on his back said. "This is gonna be bad!"

"What, nine o' clock?" Ganju couldn't believe it. "Come on, we gotta go, Bonnie!" He used his fingers and blew them as a whistle.

"Hm?" Ichigo stood in pure confusion as a large boar jumped over his head, grazing a few of his orange hairs off. "Bonnie?"

* * *

_**Yes, I know. Things were just getting good, but since I have more time to spare, another update will be out soon. I am so thankful for those who have reviewed and favorited this story. Although I appreciate the praising reviews, I do want to see more that are focused on helping me make this story even better than it is now. You know, ones that give off more criticism. But if you don't want to, then you don't have to.**_

_**See you next chapter!**_


	20. Chapter 20

_***Talks in a fancy person voice* Welcome, welcome, to this new chapter of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Many of you have reviewed and I am so delighted to see them, especially from my own favorite readers. *Fancy person laugh* And now, you may continue to read and review afterwards, if it isn't any trouble. **_

_***Uses normal voice* Happy Reading! Oh, and I don't own Bleach or its character/plot.**_

* * *

**Chapter 20**

"What time is it, now?" Ganju said as he stood up with a bleeding nose.

"It's nine already, Boss Man! This is gonna be bad!" one of his henchmen said with fear shown all over, the same going for the other three.

"What, nine o' clock? Come on, we gotta go, Bonnie!" he said before using two fingers to whistle for his boar. Soon after, hurrying hooves were heard while Ichigo was standing there with a confused look. Right behind him was the large boar as it leaped over him, grazing off a few orange hairs. Bonnie landed in front of her rider but unintentionally blew him away. Ganju did multiple summersaults, a few flips in the air, and ended the performance with his chin sliding against the ground. He finally stopped a few yards or more away from everyone, a deep trail of gravel left behind him. "That's the way, Bonnie!" he smirked as he got up while smirking at his dear boar. "I can't play with you right now; come one and give me a ride out of here."

Alex swore she saw the boar's eye glimmer in response. It nearly freaked her out. _'This is by far the toughest, scariest boar I've ever seen in my life . . .' _she thought with a sweat drop.

Bonnie dashed forward and struck Ganju so hard that he flew high up in the night sky. Funny thing is, Bonnie kept on running. Ichigo, however, wouldn't allow the self-proclaimed Soul Reaper Hater get away that easily. "What? Hey, get back here!"

Ganju fell flat on his stomach on the animal's back. He managed to end up facing the wrong way. "Oh, I'm not running away! Just wait! I'll be back here again tomorrow, and we'll settle things once and for all! You just wait for me, Dandelion Head!" he shouted as he rode farther and farther away from the fight scene. "And try not to turn into fluff and blow away! Let's go, everyone!" he quickly added.

The Substitute Soul Reaper's temple throbbed in fury as he watched after Ganju. He jutted a finger out in the distance before yelling, "You stupid coward! How dare you –!" Without being able to finish, the rest of Ganju's posse hurried after their boss whilst riding on their own unique boars. Sadly for Ichigo, he was stomped all over and fell face down into the ground as the dust dispersed from everyone else's view. He quickly got up with an accusing finger still directed toward the now gone Ganju, wanting to yell something but couldn't think of anything. It was either that or he was too angry to even speak.

"That was weird," Orihime said as she and the others stood by their friend.

Uryu adjusted his glasses before laying a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "If you ask me, that was a disaster," the Quincy said while attempting to somehow cheer him up.

Unfortunately, it didn't affect him in a positive way. He finally had the ability to speak as he said, "I'm gonna kill that guy as soon as I find out who he is!"

A brunette sighed at her orange haired friend's forgetfulness. "Seriously, Ichigo, even _I _remembered who he is. You need to start paying attention to these things, or you're gonna regret it later on."

He was too busy being pissed off to retort a smart comment back at Alex. "Next time I see that asshole, he's a dead man!" he said under his hot breath. The anger inside of him affected his aura as he thought of ways to get back at the idiot coward.

Yoruichi walked over to Ichigo and sat down near his feet. "Well now, are you done goofing off? If so, then you are all to head back inside and get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow, and you're going to need you're rest," he said with his tail swaying back and forth behind him. He received a nod from everyone's head, all except for the stubborn Substitute. "Ichigo, I do not have time for you to be moping about a silly fight. Now, get inside and go to sleep."

"I got it." Alex struck Ichigo in the back of his neck, knocking him out a few seconds later as he fell once again. "Alright, Chad, help me get him inside before he wakes up."

The said Mexican nodded before he picked up and carried his friend inside. Meanwhile, the other two were still in slight shock at the brunette's action and strength. "What? It's something I was taught by television. I didn't think it would actually work, but it doesn't matter now," she explained. "Now, unless you want to go through the same thing, I suggest we do as Yoruichi suggested before and get some shuteye."

Alex went inside with Uryu, Orihime, and Yoruichi behind her. Botania somehow fell asleep on her own, again, as she lay on a bed mat with a blanket that kept her warm. Alex was careful not to wake the star child while she took her to the room she would be sleeping in with Orihime.

* * *

At this time, all was fast asleep in the elder's home. However, because she forgot to do something very important, Alex woke up with cold sweats dripping down her forehead. Moments before waking up, she had one of the strangest dreams she could ever have:

_There was a Masquerade Ball being held at the Rosewood home. Everyone was in the ballroom and dressed in elegant dresses and suits with a mask hiding their identity. Standing near a tall, glass paned window was the hosts' only daughter, Alex. _

_She bore an alternating black and white dress that switched at the waist belt. The soft cloth material flowed and stopped at her ankles, which revealed a pair of white open toed heels with straps snaking around her lower calves. Around her neck was the spade shaped locket she cherished so dearly because of how much it meant to her. The brunette's hair was held in a tight bun that had a curled strand hanging on the left side of her face. The first strange thing that happened was that she had on her hollow mask, only it truly did seem like a regular mask. Alex's eyes were still green and not blue, so there wasn't much to worry about. It still bothered her though, but she would put that aside until another time. _

_The teen watched her guests waltz with their partners as light classical music played in the background. The viola was the most captivating to most of their ears as its sweet sounds were strung from its strings. A sleek, black piano stood beside the performing musicians, its chair empty because of the absent pianist. They were to return when the time came for them to play a more piano based song. _

_Alex saw everyone she currently knew on the dance floor: Tatsuki, Orihime, Uryu, Chad, Keigo, Mizuiro, and even Rukia. Ichigo was nowhere to be seen at the moment, but she knew he could take care of himself if he was there. _

_The brunette sat down in one of the chairs seated at one of many tables while looking around the majestic designs of the ballroom. The crystal chandeliers hanging above were beautiful as they refracted the room's lights. The window's ivory drapes sparkled with its light, golden edges. The walls and floor both shared similar colors of ivory and a light gold. 'Everything here is so beautiful. . . Wait, we have a ballroom? Geez, I need someone to remind me to explore the rooms of my house the minute we get back,' Alex thought to herself with a little irritation shown in her eyes, since basically all of her face was covered by the mask. _

"_May I have this dance with you, fair maiden?" a young man asked with a hand held out for Alex to hopefully take. _

_Said girl stared up at the gentlemen and gently shook her head. "No, thank you. I'm fine sitting here," she politely turned him down. 'And since when was I a _fair maiden_?'_

_The man nodded and walked away, finding himself another lady that gladly agreed and followed him before they danced. For some reason, that man sounded and looked awfully familiar. . . _

_Alex didn't mind sitting and watching from afar. What really mattered was that her quests were having a great time, right? Yeah, turning someone down for a waltz doesn't sound very happy, but the gentlemen didn't seem to care, so no feelings were hurt. _

"_Hey."_

'_Really people, really? It's kind of obvious that I don't want to dance, so why is everyone trying so hard to get my lazy butt up?' Alex sourly thought as she looked up to the new young man. "Can I help . . . you?" It was Ichigo standing above her with his hollow mask strapped to his face, a black suit with a red tie on his body. The orange hair and brown eyes are what really helped her made her guess. "Oh, Ichigo, it's you."_

_He held an offering hand to Alex as he turned his face to the side. "Do you . . . wanna dance?"_

_The brunette rapidly blinked while hesitating to take his hand. 'Well, I'm not entirely surprised that he would ask me since this _is _a Masquerade Ball . . .' "I . . . sure," she said as she reached out and placed her hand in his. She got up from her seat and allowed him to escort her to the center of the floor. Thankfully, other people didn't make way for the approaching dancers while they continued their own dance. Ichigo stopped and faced Alex before placing one hand on her side as the other held her hand. Alex laid her remaining hand on top of Ichigo's shoulder. _

_Just as they were about to begin, the absent pianist came back in time to play a melodic tune. The teenagers started their dance and felt at ease with the other holding on to them. There were a few times when Ichigo would twirl Alex around before resuming. Before the song came to a close, the orange haired boy spun his partner out while latching onto her hand and brought her back in his embrace. While she spun, the ends of her dress seemed alive as they flew in the air. _

_Green eyes stared up at a pair of brown ones as they faintly panted, mostly because of the piano switching to a much faster tempo from the piece's adagio (slow and at ease) pace. "Since when did you dance?"_

"_That's none of your business!" Ichigo flatly said with a comical expression. "What does it matter to you?"_

"_Calm yourself, Strawberry. I was just wondering," she retorted with a hidden pout. "Anyway, I think one dance is enough for me." She let go of him as she went back to her seat among the other millions. But the moment she loosened her hold, she felt a sudden longing to return to his embrace again. 'What the hell? Oh crap, my chest better not do that funny thing it did the first day!'_

"_Alex!" Ichigo called for the girl as he quickly walked toward her. "Um . . . Since you're done for the night, why don't we go outside?"_

_She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Why?"_

_He scowled at her while scratching his head. "Man, do you need an answer for everything? It's just to get some fresh air and a little piece and quiet from everything. It's not that I don't like the music; I just honestly don't want another girl asking me to dance with her."_

_Alex smiled softly behind her mask. "That sounds fair enough; besides, I don't feel like dancing with anyone else either," she said as they opened the window/door and stood on the second story balcony. _

_Many stars were out and shining on this breathtaking night, the moon shining the brightest, luminous light. A few crickets here and there chirped and filled the evening air. Even though there wasn't complete silence, it still relaxed Alex's mind, and she was sure that Ichigo felt the same, too. Neither of them spoke nor did anything to break the peaceful silence they shared. But, there's always a time for things to be broken. "You look pretty sharp in your suit," said the brunette as she glanced at the taller boy. _

"_Thanks, and you look . . . nice."_

_All of a sudden, heat began to rise in Alex's cheeks as she remembered him saying the same thing when she tried on a shorter version of the dress she's wearing from the time they went shopping on her birthday. Why the memory made her blush like an idiot, she did not know. "Thank you," she said in a gentle tone. "Um, you don't mind if I take my mask off, do you?"_

"_No," Ichigo said. "While I'm thinking about it, I might as well take mine off, too. This thing gets a little hot after a while." _

_They both pushed their hollow masks off of their face, sweat being left on Ichigo's forehead while Alex's stayed dry. "Man, you were right, Ichigo. Your head is all sweaty!"_

"_I told you," he said with his eyes momentarily closed. "Wait, how come _your _face is still dry?" he asked while getting a better look at his friend's forehead. _

"_How the hell should I know?" Alex said with a throbbing temple. "Do I look like a doctor to you?"_

"_Whatever," Ichigo sighed. He stuffed a hand in his pocket as he gazed at the bright stars in the dark blanket above. He felt the need to ask his friend something he never thought about asking before. But should he do it? Will she even answer? ". . .How did you feel when I gave you your birthday present?"_

_The question obviously caught her off guard. Why would he ask her something like that at a time like this? She had to really think about the answer. But to be honest, she knew how she felt back then; she just didn't want to say it. 'What am I afraid of? It's only a question. He's probably just curious . . . right?' "Well, I – I . . . I had this weird feeling in my chest after you helped me put it on." Alex twiddled her fingers as she stared at the ground, the blush from before coming back on her face. _

"_You – really?" he asked in slight disbelief. He watched her barely nod her head as his own cheeks had a pink blush appear on them. "Oh, well . . ." He had no idea what came over him, but when one of his hands cupped the fair-skinned girl's face, something inside of him sparked to life. _

_The same went for Alex as she felt confused at first but calmed her nerves, allowing him to hold her chin. She felt his other arm gently warp around her waist as he pulled her closer, getting rid of the huge space in between them. Her hands made their way to his toned, clothed chest as she saw him slowly move his head closer to hers. The brunette followed the action, which finally led to their lips connecting with the other. _

_Alex thought that because it was a dream, it would have abruptly ended as it did the last time. But the moment Ichigo touched her soft lips with his own, she felt that the dream would allow her to be . . . she couldn't even explain the feeling. _

_Sadly, the taller teen slowly pulled away. If Alex was correct, there was a slight hunger or need in his brown eyes as if he wanted to kiss her once more. ". . . Um," Alex tried to say something – anything – but she was at a loss of words. _

_Ichigo gave a gentle smile, or maybe even a smirk, as he watched the brunette struggle to speak. _

"_I'm guessing the two of you are in the middle of something important?" an unknown said as he came outside the same way. _

_The two teenagers turned to see a man with slicked back, brown hair dressed up in a white suit with a black tie. The top part of his face was hidden behind a white mask with matching feathers protruding on each side. It was the same guy who asked to dance with her. "Oh, um, yeah . . . you could say that," she said, still holding on to Ichigo. Her ears noticed something was wrong: there was no music playing anymore. Did the musicians need a break? But if they did, then there were backups that would play for them while they rested. 'Oh, so now they wanna be lazy, huh?' she thought angrily as she was about to head back inside to see what the problem was. Before she took one step, the sight of a puddle of blood caught her eye, along with a pile of dead bodies sprawled on the floor. Her eyes widened in horror, and her hands tightened their grip on Ichigo's suit. _

_Said boy saw this and brought her in closer to him to bring some kind of comfort to her. It worked as she leaned her head against his chest. "What's wrong?" he asked in his usual, serious tone._

_Alex had to force herself to spit out the words. Even then, it only came out in a whisper. "They're dead . . . Everyone in the room: dead."_

"_How could they be dead?" _

"_Simple," the masked man said, getting both of their attentions. "I murdered them all while you two were out here." It's completely insane how he said it with such a calm voice. Just who is he, and what was his reason for killing their friends?_

"_You bastard!" the orange haired boy growled under his breath, wrapping both arms around Alex so that he may protect her. "What the hell do you even plan on gaining from this?"_

"_Come now, you can at least give me a challenging question instead of such obvious ones like that. But either way, I'll tell you," the man removed his mask to reveal brown eyes that mocked and messed with Alex's mind. "It was so I can isolate my beloved prize all by herself. And since you're the only one here that's still alive, she will be more broken than planned." That damn smile helped Alex remember the sick man's name. But she wouldn't say it, for it would have made things even worse. _

"_What are you talking about? Break who?" Ichigo demanded, his voice level growing as well as his anger. 'What the hell is this guy's deal? Is he after . . . No, dammit, she can't be the one he's talking about!'_

_The man took out a Zanpakuto before unsheathing it from its scabbard, its silver blade reflecting the moon's light. "Why, Alex, of course. I need to break her will in order for her to come with me. Killing you will be the perfect method. But if she refuses, I'll have no choice but to either put her under my control or kill her."_

_Ichigo's eyes hardened with such fury and hate. He wouldn't allow the mad man to take her away from him. _

"_Well, Alexandria, are you willing to come with me? If you do, I will promise not to bring any harm to anyone else you love," he bargained as he pointed the tip of his sword at them. _

_What was she supposed to do? Going with him would mean throwing her entire life away just like that, but if she refused . . . it would mean losing Ichigo. Without her realizing it, Alex stepped forward with one of her hands still latched onto Ichigo's chest. "I . . . I. . ." 'I'd rather die with Ichigo than to go with you.' Why wouldn't those exact words leave her lips instead of stuttering?_

"_Maybe this should help make your decision," he disappeared into thin air before reappearing behind a shocked and surprised Ichigo. He impaled his sword in the center of his body, a mere few inches away from his heart. After pulling the blade out of the newly formed wound, he chuckled at the girl's horrified face. _

_Alex fell to her knees before holding Ichigo in her hands. She was so stricken with fear that she lost the ability to speak. All she could do was feel a large dam in her eyes about to break down as her heart felt like it was being stabbed and punched at multiple times. "Ichi . . . go," she whispered as the boy smiled with a stream of blood flowing out of his lips. _

"_I don't know why, but you feel so warm for some reason . . ." Ichigo's once lively brown eyes became more lifeless and dead with each passing moment. His peach skin began to change to a sickly pale white. The blood from the severe wound stained most of his suit's torso as a small, shaking hand tried to stop the continuous blood flow from the hole. He saw the rim of her eyes start to water and reached up to tousle her hair. "Hey, don't cry, Alex. You promised me that you wouldn't." He smiled as he tried to get her to do the same. However, his breaths started to decrease and grow fainter. There wasn't much time left for him._

"_Please, don't die . . . I beg of you, please don't die," Alex did her best to hold back her tears as she hiccupped. "I know you're stronger than that, Ichigo. You've been through worse, and I know that you can survive if you can please try to stay alive . . ." She felt his heart rate slow down and his grip on her head go limp. "Don't die. . . Please, don't –."_

_Ichigo's pale lips whispered three words and three only before closing his eyes to enter a deep slumber. His arm fell down on his chest, and Alex's salty tears flowed out of her saddened, green eyes. _

"_You're next, dear Alex. It seems that you are no longer cooperative."_

_Before the sword went through her body, a faint blue light shined in her locket, and Ichigo's last words echoed through her thoughts: don't cry, Alexandria. _

_The man thrusts his blade through her mid-section, causing excruciating pain to shoot through her entire body._

That was when the dream ended, and it was also when Alex woke up, almost letting out a frightened scream from her vocal chords. Beads of sweat rolled down her head as she stood up from her bed mat. Without waking anyone else up, she tip-toed outside where she climbed up on the roof to stare at the break of dawn. She pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on them. Many things were bouncing around in her thoughts from the dream, like what was the meaning behind it? _'Could be trying to tell me something, or did I just forget to sing the song? No, there aren't any stars out tonight, only the moon . . .' _

But, maybe she didn't need the stars. The moon was still there, waiting patiently for her soft voice to be heard.

Alex was careful not to fall from the roof as she stood up. This might even help her mind ease a little while in the Soul Society. She slowly parted her lips, took a small breath, and out came her gentle words.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are,

Up above a world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky . . . "

Had she been paying attention, the singing brunette would have sensed another Substitute Soul Reaper listening with his brown eyes barely open. Even the locket was able to react from his presence as it glowed its signature blue light.

* * *

Morning came, and everyone a part of Ichigo's rescue party was wide awake and ready to go. The only one missing was said leader. He was probably just now waking up or was getting his things together.

Meanwhile, the rest of them were waiting patiently as Orihime was relieved to see their giant Gatekeeper improving since yesterday. "It looks like Jidanbo's wound closed up. I hope he'll be okay when he comes to again," she said while watching the Soul Reaper snore in his sleep.

"Big bodied men like him have plenty of stamina and strength," Chad said. "I'm sure he'll be fine before long."

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed. "It would take a lot to permanently harm someone as big and powerful as Jidanbo."

"The question now is: who exactly is this Kukaku Shiba we're supposed to be looking for?" Uryu asked as he turned to his friends, hoping to find an answer from them. "As usually, Yoruichi left out a lot of the details."

Orihime held a finger up to her chin. "It would have to be someone Yoruichi thinks could get us into the Seireitei without going through the gates."

"Which would probably mean someone with great skill," he added while latching his hands behind him.

The bubbly ginger clapped her hands in delight as she thought of it as a sort of guessing game. "Wow! I wonder if it's a smart, purebred cat with pedigree papers! I hope so," she said. "Or an American short haired type! Or even a Dalmatian!"

"Orihime," the burly Mexican interrupted. "Just because it's someone Yoruichi knows, doesn't mean that it'll be a cat. And by the way, a Dalmatian is dog." At least he had some sense to not automatically assume their feline guide would introduce them to another animal.

"Are you sure?" she asked in slight disbelief. Oh, Orihime, we sometimes wonder if you're actually thinking about reasonable suggestions. Although, the part about the person being a cat would have sounded believable had that person possessed the ability to turn into one.

It was Uryu's turn to come up with something. Something more _realistic _other than a Dalmatian. "Judging from the name 'Kukaku', I'd say we're going to be dealing with a well-built man, probably a powerful samurai warrior."

"Nah, I think he'll be more of a hermit type master," Chad said.

Alex folded her hands behind her head as she pretended to look up in thought. It's true that her memory is slowly fading away, but she at least has some left to help them on their journey here. For example, she still knew nearly all of the captains and lieutenants' names, along with a few seated officers. "Or, maybe Kukaku is woman with powerful strength and uses techniques that deal with firepower. You know, like fireworks."

Orihime came up with a brilliant idea as she crouched down to draw in the dirt a combination of all their ideas. "Ta da! A hermit type, fireworks specialist, samurai warrior master with the ears and tails of a cat "

"He looks anything like that then we're in trouble."

"Really? You're gonna ignore the fact that I said Kukaku might be a girl? I would have expected this from Chad and Uryu, but not you, Orihime," Alex shot daggers at her friends.

"Aww," she pouted. "How about I draw him with Dalmatian spots instead?"

"Are you ever listening!"

"Not bad, Orihime, except you forget to give him a cape," Uryu said.

"I always forget something!" the imaginative girl groaned.

Alex comically glared at the Quincy with green daggers. "Dude, what is up with you and these damn capes? Did you not learn your lesson in the Dangai, or do I need to push near a cyclone that'll suck you in?"

"Why must you hate my cape? There's nothing wrong with wearing them!" he argued while trying to defend himself.

"Yeah, yeah, say that all you want. But there's gonna be a time when that stupid thing will get you in trouble."

"Whatever! Anyway," he cleared throat while pushing his glasses up the ridge of his nose, "what's the hold up with Ichigo?"

"He's inside; should I call him?" Orihime asked while standing up.

He started walking toward the house's entrance and left his companions. "That's okay. I'll go get him."

They watched after him before Orihime thought of another idea. "Now, I have to think up another version of Kukaku, maybe with a bigger head!" She went back in position as she tried to think of a different image.

"Orihime . . . maybe you're thinking too hard," Chad said, hoping to stop the poor girl from using all of her mental strength.

"I want Kukaku to be able to make stars and sparkles!" the little sandy haired child interjected as she hopped on Orihime's back.

While those two continued coming up with different suggestions and additions, Uryu stood near the open door in pure shock. "Huh?! What do you mean 'not going'?"

"That's what I said! You guys can go on without me," Ichigo said while resisting to be reasoned with. This was obviously not going to have such a wonderful outcome once a few others were to become involved. "I'm staying here to finish my battle with that pinhead from yesterday!"

"That's not an option!" he retorted before he reached forward and grabbed his uniform. "You're coming with us, even if I have to drag you myself!" Of course, knowing Ichigo, he wasn't the one to give up so easily.

Said boy quickly grabbed something and struggled to stand his ground. "If I don't show up, he'll think I'm a chicken!"

"Who cares what he thinks!?"

Orihime popped her head in through the open door. "Hey, what's up? Aren't you two ready to go yet?"

"Get in here, Orihime! Help – me – get – him – outta here!" Uryu said while tugging and yanking with each word.

"Leave me alone!" the Substitute resisted once more. "I'll beat that boar riding punk quick and catch up to you guys before I –," an ebony paw clawed its toes over Ichigo's nose, leaving three, bleeding scratch marks there for him. There was pure silence before a loud scream was heard from the injured boy.

Alex, Chad, and Botania ran inside to see what the commotion was about and saw Ichigo lying face down as Yoruichi's claws shimmered. The brunette had a feeling that would happen, mostly because of her memory, but she kind of thought that she might have done something as the feline did. _'Oh well, as long as the hard headed ninny learned his lesson, it doesn't matter to me,' _Alex said in her mind with a sigh.

"What's wrong with you? Have you forgotten why we came here in the first place?!" Yoruichi scolded at the orange haired boy. "Lives are at stake. Rukia's life in particular is in your hands. Surely, you haven't forgotten about _that_."

Ichigo lifted his body up and went back into an Indian styled sitting position.

"You don't have time to waste on foolish grudge matches with strangers! " he continued without needing his input. "Are you ready for the task at hand?"

* * *

Once Ichigo came to an understanding of the situation, he and the rest of his friends headed out for Kukaku Shiba's home. The sun had rose up by now and brought light to the Soul Society. As they were walking, Ichigo stopped as he stared up the blue sky, groaning from the amount of time they had been searching for the house. "Looks to me like we're heading out to the empty country side! Are you sure this is the right way, Uryu?" he asked the glasses wearing boy playing as their guide. He didn't hear a response and repeated himself. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"Just be quiet!" the dark haired boy snapped. "I'm following the elder's map, and according to this, we're almost there. If you don't like the way I'm guiding us, then why don't you take over, _Great Leader_?"

"Don't get your panties in a wad; I was just wondering," he deadpanned while staring blankly at the Quincy.

"Kukaku Shiba is probably the type of master who likes to keep his identity secret by hiding away out in the wilderness!" Orihime piped in cheerfully, hoping to calm Ichigo's impatience.

"That would make sense, but it's not the case, here," Yoruichi said. "Living in these types of surroundings is Kukaku's personal preference. The fact is: Kukaku moves frequently, but the houses themselves always look much the same." They started up a grassy hill and resumed the conversation. "I guarantee you'll know it's the house when you see it."

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" Ichigo asked with a sweat drop. He didn't like where this was going.

"You'll see soon enough. Just wait." A few more steps taken later, Yoruichi sat down as they reached their destination at last. "Ah, it looks like we've arrived." He waited for their reactions from each person.

"What?!"

"No way!"

Oh, it's fantastic!" Only Orihime would say that.

"Hm?"

"Like I said, you'll know it when you see it," Yoruichi must have been having fun messing with their heads.

Ichigo and Uryu stared at the small house with two, giant stone hands holding a red banner with Kukaku's name written on it. "What kind of person would want to live in a house like that?"

"I don't know, but whoever he is, he sure doesn't care about keeping his identity a secret!" Uryu added. "And building houses like this one . . . It's no wonder why he doesn't live in town anymore!"

"I bet he's not _allowed _to live in town anymore!"

"Hm," Yoruichi ignored their comments as he stared at the home. "So, this time the banner is held up by giant, human arms. That's actually quite clever, don't you think?" Is the cat sure he wants to ask those two a question like that, after nearly blinding their eyes from the nightmare before them?

"That is one word for it, I guess . . ." Uryu continued to gape in shock as he sweat dropped.

"But, not the one I was thinking of. . ."

"Come on, let's go."

"Yeah!" the bubbly girl skipped down the slope with Yoruichi, Chad, Bobo, and Alex, while their two idiots stayed behind without moving a single muscle.

'_I can't believe he would take me to such an embarrassing destination!' _Uryu thought.

'_I can't let anyone see me walk into a house that ridiculous!' _the orange haired boy said in his mind, trying to protect his reputation.

The others waited patiently for them to follow as they stopped and faced them. "What's the matter with you two? Hurry up!"

"Alright," both said in unison with sweat drops on their heads.

Ichigo speed walked ahead of them before pausing and turning to the Quincy. "Oh, and Uryu, you better not tell anyone I went into this place, or you'll pay for it!"

"Don't worry about _that_," he said while catching up with the others. While they walked toward the home of Kukaku Shiba, something else caught the Quincy's eyes. _'Hm. Strange; that's an awfully big chimney for such a small house . . . Huh, and the top is sealed shut! I wonder why.'_

"Halt, strangers!" two men shouted as the group of seven stopped in place. Ichigo reached for his Zanpakuto in case things were to get ugly.

"Who dares trespass here?" one man wearing mostly yellow asked for the other to answer.

"Foreigners from the looks of it, and two of them are Soul Reapers!" The two jumped down from their place on the stone hands as they crossed their muscular arms. They narrowed their eyes at them in wonder of their group mixture.

"Very suspicious. . . I, Koganehiko,"

"And I, Shiroganehiko,"

"Cannot allow you passage inside this building!" they both ended together.

Ichigo's grip on his sword tightened in annoyance of this hindrances popping up every time they would come close to an important place.

"Begone!"

"Or advance now, and be killed for your insolence!"

"Crap, more gatekeepers," the strongest of the party said. "This Soul Society is just one annoyance after another."

"Hm?" the burly guards noticed something pop out from behind the orange haired Soul Reaper, instantly recognizing them. "Master Yoruichi!'

* * *

A minute or two later, the twin guard that wore mostly white stayed outside to keep watch while his brother escorted them inside.

"A descending staircase right from the front door?" the Quincy thought aloud. "Now, that's just weird."

"Kind of makes you wonder how they get to the upstairs, huh?" Orihime added while she indeed wondered this exact thought.

Koganehiko held his head high as he spoke to the feline that followed from below. "A thousand apologies for not recognizing right away that it was you, Master Yoruichi. We had no idea that these trespassers were your servants!"

'_Now I'm a servant?' _Ichigo thought as he comically glared at the tall guard and his choices of words.

"It's my fault. I should have sent word ahead that my companions and I were on our way here."

Koganehiko laughed as they finally made it to the bottom. "You're too kind, such generous words from such a great person." He stopped as ge tyrned to face them, "Please, wait here while I announce you're arrival," he said before communicating through the doors. "Master, we have visitors!" A short silence followed after. "Now, you may enter." Koganehiko went on his knees as he opened the doors, revealing a woman resting on a few pillows in the empty room.

"Well, it's been a long time, hasn't it, Yoruichi?" the woman said while leaning against the purple pillows. She had long, messy black hair that was covered in bandages that parted in half at her back. Her busty chest was exposed through the provocative robe she wore, a black symbol on the center. She wore a white skirt and had more bandages on her feet. A small sword was attached to her wooden right arm as it too had bandages wrapped over its shoulder. Her left arm bore a black tattoo proudly on its upper section.

This entire appearance had completely struck the teenagers. "K – Kukaku is. . ."

"A woman?!"

"You _assumed _it was a man, but I never told you that," Yoruichi said as he turned to the astonished teens and child.

"See, _this _is what happens when you people don't listen to me!" the brunette threw her hands high in the air. "I told you that she could have been a woman, but _no_, you kept jumping to conclusions and thought that it was a man!"

"Wait, then how come you didn't tell me?" Bobo asked with a heartbroken face.

"You were there when I said it," Alex deadpanned.

"Oh, yeah . . . Nevermind!"

"Geez, I sometimes wonder if you even listen to anything I say!'

"Hm, what's this? You seemed to have brought a bunch of brats with you," Kukaku said as she looked over the confused party that stood before her.

"I shall explain that," the feline stated. "First though, I have a favor to ask of you, Kukaku."

"That is usually the case when you look me up, Yoruichi. Is it dangerous?"

He took a moment to answer with a simple, "Probably."

The woman smirked as she gave a short laugh. "It's been a long time since we talked like this . . . Well, well, my friend, lucky for you, I enjoy danger!"

* * *

_**Okay, that's enough for one chapter. But, the next update will be up in about a week or two, so don't you worry! And I still need to see some reviews! Also, if you can't think of one that involves criticism that will help me become a better writer, it's alright. You don't have to work your brains if you don't want to. Believe me, I have that same feeling. Anyway,**_

_**See you all next time!**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**I know I'm a little late on the update, but I finally got it done! I also say thank you to those that are still reading and reviewing my story. And, to put many requests in action, I'll be using 1**__**st**__** person point of view most of the time.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Tite Kubo's Bleach.**_

_**Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Recap**: _Ichigo and co. have made it to the world of the Souls, also known as the Soul Society. Now, they must enter the Seireitei in order to continue their mission and save Rukia. Unfortunately for them, the impenetrable walls and Gate Guardian are the only thing in their way. Kukaku Shiba, an old friend of Yoruichi's, can possibly help them out. This should be heap loads of fun, especially with the great Kukaku being a woman._

* * *

**Chapter 21**

_Alex's P.O.V._

I sat down on my knees beside Ichigo while we all waited for Kukaku's answer. Yoruichi told her everything that happened to us and our situation so far. She hoped that her old friend would lend a hand in getting us through the Seireitei's walls. I do have to say that it's weird calling Yoruichi as a guy and not a girl. I wonder if she noticed that I knew about her true gender yet . . .

Kukaku exhaled a long puff of smoke from her belled pipe. She looked up at us with a smirk on her face. "Ah, what the hell; I'll help ya out."

"Wonderful! I'm glad you can help," Yoruichi said.

"I did have a few other reservations, but with Urahara involved, how can I say no? But," she stood up with her pipe lazily resting in her hand, "While I do trust you completely, I'm not entirely sure about these kids accompanying you. So, I'll be sending an overseer to keep an eye on you."

I felt my body tense up a little. I already knew how this would turn out. Should I tell Ichigo or just let him figure it out by himself? No, maybe now would be a good time. "Ichigo," I whispered to him while tugging on his robes, "there's something that you need to know about this overseer."

"What about the overseer?" Ichigo asked rather loudly, enough for Kukaku to hear him.

"Well, he's actually my little brother. He's kind of an idiot and not all that useful, but he'll have to do." She made her way over to a set of Shoji doors and warned the person behind the door to behave themselves. After she heard a response from him, Kukaku opened the doors to reveal Ganju dressed up in different clothing. He bowed his head in respect of our visiting his home.

"It's an honor to meet you. My name is Ganju Shiba, and I'm pleased to be of service!" The moment he raised his head to see who he would watch over, he recognized us in no time. The look on his face was kind of priceless, along with everyone else's.

I couldn't help but to muster out a sheepish laugh, a sweat drop going down the side of my temple. Now, I _really _knew not to keep important information like this away from the others again. I saw Ichigo jump up and jut a finger out at Ganju, yelling for no apparent reason and vice versa. Kukaku just stood there innocently, thinking this to be a normal thing for her.

"Wait, you two know each other already?" Kukaku looked at Ichigo and Ganju, seeming a little surprised.

"You have no idea . . ." I muttered under my breath.

Next thing I knew, they started going at each other. I didn't feel like dealing with this crap, so I hung my head down with a hand gently pressed against my forehead with the tips of my fingers adding more pressure. Why couldn't these two just get along without attempting to kill one another in the process? When I looked up again, I saw Ganju furiously pressing his foot against a place where the sun didn't shine on Ichigo.

To be honest, I had no idea what came over me, but the protective part of me (yes, I actually had that side) took control and socked Ganju square in the jaw. The punch sent him tumbling back as he held it and tried to soothe the pain. I put my hands up in a fighting stance and readied myself for whatever he had in store. I might as well finish it since I started it.

"Damn, girlie here can pack a punch!" Kukaku said, also surprised at my strength. It's funny, though, that not many people see me as a tough girl. I mean, I do seem a bit aggressive, but that's all. Because of my average body weight, not even the friends I had back home (in my other universe and all) knew what I could do.

Ganju recovered from both the punch and his shock, giving me a stare that said, "You're lucky you're a girl."

That just made my anger go up to such high levels. I personally despised men who thought a woman couldn't fight, or that there were some exceptions. So, I did what I had to in order to vent out my anger, which was to keep fighting Ganju. "You think that because I'm a girl, I can't fight for nothing, huh?" I asked him with arched down brows.

"You said it, not me," Ganju said matter-of-factly. He too got himself into a stance.

I scoffed at him before I ran and drop kicked him in the chest. He used both hands to block it, but I kept adding more force and finally pushed him farther back than I expected. Ganju stumbled while trying to regain his balance, ending up on his behind after crashing through the Shoji doors he was behind before all of this started. Once he brushed the rubble off from his body, he came at me with a tightened fist held up. I easily dodged it by stepping to the side, tripping him over and grabbing his arm in the process. I pulled it back until hearing a quiet crack in his shoulder. Just the mere sight of the pained look on his face made me smirk victoriously.

Before releasing him, I brought him closer to me so that only he heard me. "Now, you listen here, _Self-proclaimed Soul Reaper Hater_. Don't you ever underestimate me _and _my friends, or you will face a harsh beating, understand?" He seemed a bit threatened by my warning, but I still saw that he wasn't entirely convinced. So in response, I judo flipped him over my shoulder and harshly dropped him on the ground.

As I turned around to make my way back to my original spot on the floor, many pairs of eyes stared at me in disbelieve, shock, and a bit of fear. The fear came from Uryu and Ichigo, since those two were the ones that always argued with me. I switched back to nice mood and waved timidly at them before hurrying back to sit down in my seat as properly and gracefully as I could. This part of me would come out when I felt a little shy from so many people watching me.

Ichigo had stayed lying on the floor with his elbows propped up for support. I wonder what he was thinking about right now. Was he freaked out by my sudden actions? Did he think I was weird for just switching to a shy girl act? Dammit, this was annoying! I really wanted to know!

Kukaku and Yoruichi were actually somewhat impressed. I saw Kukaku breathe out another puff from her pipe as she watched me with a slight smile. "Well, well, well. Remind me not to get on your bad side," she joked. I knew fully well that I would be nowhere close to being an equal to _the _Kukaku Shiba, even if I did use blind rage. She walked over to her little brother and stomped at his stomach. "Didn't I tell you to behave? Why can't you just listen to me?"

"Aw, but sis I –," Ganju was cut off by another kick.

"I don't want to hear it! Now," she faced our group again, "I want all of you to gather up your crap and follow me. Koganehiko!" she called for the muscular guard that was waiting patiently outside. "You and Shiroganehiko begin the preparations outside! Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" He hurried up the stairs and passed on the orders to the other guard.

Kukaku headed out of the room with all of us following her. As we descended down the steps, I looked around and saw the bright lights lighting our way. I overheard Uryu asking about them and saying that he didn't remember seeing any generators on the way down. The name of them was somewhere in my memory, but it kept slipping off the tip of my tongue . . . "These are Firefly Creeper Vines!" I said more to myself, happy that I still remembered even the smallest of things. _'Maybe my memories are coming back to me!'_

"You know about them? Now, that's a surprise! I didn't think people in the World of the Living even knew about these," Kukaku said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "How did you know?"

I laughed sheepishly and fanned my hand to dismiss the topic. "Oh, well, it just came into my mind." I needed to be more careful about what I said around everyone, or they'll surely catch on and wonder how I knew everything. I especially had to watch out for Uryu. Academics weren't the only thing he was good at.

We stopped before a metallic looking door with red kanji written over the top of it. "Alright, Ganju, open the doors!" Kukaku ordered her kid brother.

"Yes ma'am!" he frantically hurried to pull open the doors and revealed a . . . a room filled with mostly darkness and little light filled inside.

I hated having this fear. It's the reason why I can never sleep peacefully at night, especially when I'm the only one in the room. I actually thought that it might have gone away when I arrived in this universe, but I guess that didn't happen. I saw everyone walking inside and felt a bit of panic as my chest started to tightly knot up. My body trembled, along with the slight shake of my bare knees. I needed to do something before I had started hyperventilating. An orange head of hair caught my attention from the corner of my eye. _'Ichigo!'_ I yelled in my head. I could even hear how it cracked as I said his name. Without hesitation, I grabbed his arm and kept myself latched on it. I felt and noticed how he tensed up at my sudden action, but then he relaxed and left my hand grasping his arm. I wanted to say thank you, but my nyctophobia got the best of me. I was forced to stay quiet until light reentered my vision.

Actually, I don't think I remember ever telling them about my phobia. Maybe that's why they looked a bit confused as to why I looked like a little child squeezing their stuffed animal close to them as a sort of protection from the monsters under our bed. Or in this case, the darkness that tried to eat you up alive.

"You can forget about trying to get through the walls. With this launcher," Kukaku said, referring to the giant pillar in the center of the room, "I'll be able to get you in the Seireitei through the air!"

Both Ichigo and Uryu were in utter shock when they heard her. I don't think they took that little piece of information so well. "Th – The air?!" they said in unison. "You've got to be kidding!"

"Of course I'm not! Or my name isn't Kukaku Shiba: fireworks expert of the Rukon District!" she said proudly with her hands on her hips.

* * *

"Wait, fireworks?" Ichigo asked again.

"That's right. Koganehiko, Shiroganehiko, raise it up, now!" Kukaku yelled to her guards through the ceiling.

The floor beneath our feet started to shake and move upwards. I heard Orihime and Uryu shouting while they wondered what was going on. The knot in my chest was loosening, along with my grip on Ichigo as I saw the light that came in through the opening panels above us. It might have been just me, but I thought saw a look of disappoint in Ichigo's eyes. Did he want me to keep holding him? Did this mean that he . . .? _'No, there's no way that's possible!' _I yelled to myself, denying the possibility of Ichigo actually having those kinds of feelings for me. _'I mean, it would be ridiculous to even _think _that he likes me! Well, it wouldn't be so bad if he did. . . No! Control your hormones, Alex! Don't let your feelings trick you!'_

By the time I paid attention again, we were already completely engulfed by the sunlight gently shining on us and the launcher pad we stood on. The launcher itself was so high that I had to put my head back a little just to see the whole thing. I then returned my eyes back down to the oldest Shiba. "So, did I scare you kids?"

I wanted to smirk and say that I wasn't scared at all, but that would have been a partial lie, since I was scared of the dark we were just in. So, I kept my mouth shut and waited for her to finish.

"This is my one and only Enhanced Fireworks Launch Pad!" she announced in her loud voice.

"And that's the Flower Crane Cannon! Ow!" Ganju received a foot to the cranium courtesy of his loving sister. Smoke emitted from his scarf covered head as he lied faced down on the ground.

Kukaku had a tick mark throbbing near her temple as she glared down at Ganju. "That's my line, you doofus!" She heard him apologize before she continued. "Huh? Left you all speechless, didn't I?"

Uryu stepped up and spoke up, a calm expression on his face. "I know you're supposed to be some kind of pirate technical wizard, but I'm still not fully convinced of it. The idea of shooting us in the air is completely –," a clear, spherical ball was thrown square in his face. He fell back with a broken lens as the ball landed in Ichigo's hand.

He and I stared at it for a while. I saw the red marking on the front. It might be a sort of bird or animal that must have had a reason for being on the object. I guess it doesn't matter now, right? What's more important was getting my hands on it!

Ichigo broke away from staring at the orb and looked up at Kukaku. "What is it?"

"It's a Reishukaku, or Spirit Core. Place your palms on it and concentrate your Spirit Energy," she explained.

I mentally sweat dropped, knowing that Ichigo couldn't use that energy for the sake of his pride. I didn't mean for it to sound like an insult, but even Yoruichi would have agreed with me. We watched Ichigo attempt and fail at getting any of his Spirit Energy into the Reishukaku. I slapped my hand against my forehead and threw my head back. "Ichigo, please don't strain yourself. It isn't worth the embarrassment," I mumbled to him.

He became pissed off after I said that and glared at me with gritted teeth. "Oh, like you could do any better!"

"Actually, I think she can."

We both whipped our heads to the sounds of Yoruichi's disguised voice. Well, other than me, they all knew her as a man. Boy, the reactions I'll get to see when Ichi – whoa, wait a minute! _'There is absolutely no way I'm letting him see __any__ other girl's naked body! I forbid it!'_ Did I just say 'forbid'? Oh gosh, I'm starting to sound like my dad in this universe, except I sound more serious and not stupid. But back to the point, I reminded myself of what Yoruichi said to me. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you should try to give us a demonstration of how the Reishukaku works. Go on, give a shot," she urged as she nodded for Ichigo to hand over the orb.

He slightly pouted and gave in, putting the Spirit Core in my hands. I guess I was somewhat right when I first thought that he liked me, because when our hands brushed over the other, I saw his cheeks reddened from the blush on his face before quickly fading away. I knew for sure that my heart nearly pumped out of my chest from how cute he looked. _'Snap out of it! You have something else to be focused on right now!'_ I lightly shook my head and positioned the clear orb in the palms of my hands. I closed my eyes, concentrating my energy so it would flow into the ball. My locket felt a little cool as I reopened my eyes and was met with a blue light that emitted from the Reishukaku. I was then surrounded by a barrier that formed all around me and made it look like I was in a hamster ball. "Holy smokes . . . I really did it!"

"Ah! It seems that I was right about you, Alex. Your training back at Urahara's must have paid off," Yoruichi said while sitting up on her paws. "But be sure not to use up all of it, or you will surely become fatigued and empty yourself of your energy."

I nodded to the black furred feline, making sure that I balanced out the amount of energy I put into the Reishukaku. Kukaku walked up to me and tapped the ball with the back of her hand to make sure it was stable.

"Good job. Now, I have one less brat to worry about. As you can see here," she raised her voice for everyone else to hear, "This is the cannonball you will use. You may think that the only thing guarding the Seireitei is that barrier, but you're dead wrong. It isn't nearly that simple. The barrier is made from a stone named Seki Seki. It's rare, even in the Soul Society. Here is a fragment of it." She got out a pebble sized stone and placed it down in front of her, bringing her good hand down upon it. There was dust surrounding it, and after it went away, my eyes nearly widened to a noticeable size as I saw that the Seki Seki was still there and in one piece while the ground around it was gone. "It is now obvious to you kids that it completely repels Spirit Energy, therefore, it is impossible to break through the barrier with it alone."

Cocking my head to the side, I realized just now that they were sitting down and watching her demonstration. _'When did they . . . ?'_ I questioned more to myself, still a little confused. But that wasn't important right now. I needed to stay focus in order to keep the cannonball's shape up.

"Even when cut into a small piece such as this," Kukaku picked up the Seki Seki fragment as the little space it was on crumpled away, "It emits a wave that breaks down Spirit Energy from all sides, which means that the Seireitei has a spherical barrier that surrounds them. It not only protects them from the sky above but even from the ground below. That's why we have this!" She whacked the ball once more, making me nearly jump in fright. "This cannonball is a special hard, spiritual penetration device that I invented. In other words, if all five of you combined put your spirit energy into this Reishukaku, you can create a cannonball strong enough to break through the barrier, then I'll use the Flower Crane Cannon to shoot that cannonball into the sky, and it'll punch a hole straight through the barrier. Any questions?" she turned to the rest of them as Ichigo stared at her with a dumb look.

"Well, I . . ."

"Alright then!"

"B-But I –," Ichigo tried again and was once more cut off.

"Take them down to the underground training room so they can practice concentrating their Spirit Energy," she snapped her fingers to summon her guards as they complied to her order in the weirdest way I knew that was possible. They picked up and carried Orihime, Uryu, and even Ichigo back inside where we would prepare ourselves for the break-in. Chad had silently followed without needing to be manually escorting into the home.

Realizing that I was done being an example, I closed my eyes again to dismiss the Reishukaku's true form. I walked over to Kukaku to give it back her, but she shouted something else. "Oh, and one more thing. If one of you lose concentration, you'll blow up on the spot."

I froze for a moment at her reminder, somehow losing feeling in my hands as the ball slipped out of its grasp and fell down. How could she say it so casually? Didn't she think any of us would react a completely different way than she expected? Ichigo, being his usual idiot self, was probably a little nervous about, but he would get over it and focus on getting the Reishukaku to work. I on the other hand immediately became frightened and scared, scared that I might be the cause of everyone's death if I lost concentration, scared that I would be at fault for ruining the entire mission, scared that I would be the reason why Rukia was executed because we didn't save her in time. I didn't want to think about it, but I couldn't help it. Usually, I always kept this side of me hidden from everyone, except family and close friends that I trusted with my life. So, I needed to calm myself down.

As I hurried after my friends, I tried to think of happy thoughts, or anything that would occupy my mind. There had to be something to think about, but what? _'Wait. . . Where's Bo –?'_

I felt a small yet heavy body fly into my back, carrying me up with them as they headed toward Kukaku's house. I looked over my shoulder to see a goofy smiling Botania giggling away. I always wondered why it was so quiet, up until now. "And where the hell have you been?!" I demanded while sounding like a worried sibling.

"I got bored of Kukaku's explaining and went back into town to find something else to do. Look! I won this after my second try!" she held out a little bracelet with a clear, star center piece. Silver and white beads held by a silk string were on either side of the star. "Isn't it pretty?"

I sighed. This girl was definitely a handful. "Yeah, it is pretty. So, I'm guessing you won that for yourself?" She gave me a nod of her pig-tailed head. "I'm not surprised. . . Anyway, you think you can put me down now –," I interrupted myself with a scream as I fell from the high ceiling of the training room we were already in. Thankfully, and oddly conveniently, Ichigo saw me falling and quickly stuck his arms out to catch me before I landed on the hard floors. I opened an eye (since they were closed while I braced myself for a concussion and possibly a coma) and looked up to see mesmerizing yet hard chocolate eyes stare down at me. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks as I felt his hands' grip on my body tighten. He held me bridal style but also like a princess being saved by her knight. Was it me, or did that the little girl flying overhead giggle at how Ichigo and I couldn't stop looking at each other? _'I'll get my revenge on that mischievous menace soon enough!'_

"Alex, what the hell were you doing?" Ichigo asked with a now comical stare. Well, the moment was nice while it lasted. But I had a feeling that he didn't want the moment to end so soon either, since his grip on me was still firm.

"Long story short: Bobo flew me back inside and dropped me for no apparent reason."

"Huh," he started and carefully put me back on my feet. "Well, as long as you're alright . . ." He scratched the back of his head with his eyes closed, cocking his head to the side. I kind of found that cute sometimes.

'_Snap out of it, Alex!' _I yelled while mentally slapping myself. I needed to get a grip of myself. I felt something warm on the hollow of my neck and reached up to feel my locket giving me that feeling. It's like when I was using the Reishukaku, and it gave off a cool feeling. I could be wrong, but it was possible that the locket passed on what Ichigo felt. My head shook at the idea. _'No, I don't think that's it. Maybe I'll figure it out later on.' _For now, it was time for us to start our training. Even though I had no problem concentrating my Spirit Energy, it doesn't hurt to practice some more. Practice makes perfect, right?

* * *

Shiroganehiko and Koganehiko gave us each a Spirit Core to practice with. Ichigo started first and, of course, failed to get anything in it. I almost thought that I was going to hurt myself when I laughed so hard at the way the guards were yelling at him. Was one of them pelvic thrusting the air while the other danced like a monkey? I couldn't tell from the tears coming out of my eyes from the overload og laughter. Ichigo pushed himself even harder but still came up with nothing. I fell back laughing more than ever, not really caring if anyone thought I was crazy.

Uryu's eye twitched at the stupidity and silliness surrounding him in the spacious room; Orihime was having a little laugh herself; Chad didn't say or do much, as usual; and Bobo hovered over me, a bit surprised that I could actually laugh so hard. She normally saw me as a serious or aggressive person, so it was understandable.

"Help me out here! Is it working?" Ichigo asked with a strained face. This was going to be a long day. . .

* * *

"Now you, if you please, Orihime," Koganehiko said with his arms crossed. It was time to show them how far we've gotten with our training, a sort of evaluation if you think about it. Orihime held the Reishukaku and easily formed a cannonball. I was happy for her, but it was also expected since she was good at using her Spirit Energy. "Good! You're doing just fine."

"Now you, Uryu," Shiroganehiko mirrored the guard beside him as they waited for Uryu to go. His ball was more of an oval shaped rather than a circle. "It's narrow, but it does have the overall shape. I bet that it comes from the boy's personality."

"Chad, you're up next."

I twirled the ball in my hand as I waited for my turn. Usually when I had to present something, I get nervous. I stood up when I heard my name and inserted my energy into the Reishukaku. Like before, a spherical ball was formed around me. "Excellent! You and Orihime are making such progress!" I smiled at Koganehiko's compliment and dismissed the cannonball.

"And now, it is time for Ichigo." They both turned to Ichigo and watched him struggle. A wiggling snake that was supposed to be the cannonball came out the Reishukaku. I held in a laugh with a hand over my mouth as Shiroganehiko and Koganehiko shoved insults in his face. Ichigo finally snapped when they yelled, "You have absolutely no talent at all!"

He grew a tick mark on his temple and chucked the Reishukaku as a pro baseball pitcher would and socked one of the guards square in the face. "Shiroganehiko!" Koganehiko called for him before Ichigo started pummeling them.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't understand! You, teach me some useful pointers, dammit!" he demanded over the beating and yells of the guards.

The only thing I did was shake my head and sigh. I knew he was trying to get it right, but it's just as Yoruichi said before: he didn't know how to use his Spirit Energy. You can't blame the guy for putting up some kind of effort. Even so, it was going to be a while.

* * *

Ichigo leaned on his knees while he breathed heavily with sweat dripping down his forehead onto the floor and on the Reishukaku. It's been about one hour since he went back to practicing. It seemed like his energy was draining, but I knew that Ichigo was tougher than that.

No one spoke the entire time Ichigo was catching his breath until one of Ganju's lackeys opened the door with a ladle in hand, telling his boss that it was time for dinner. Ganju passed it on to us, and most of us were feeling a bit hungry. I looked back at Ichigo with concern, worried that he might push himself too hard. Then again, that always was a habit of his when it came to training. I felt the corners of my lips tug upwards into a smile as I walked over to him. I laid a hand on his shoulder and bent down to get to eye level. "Ichigo, come on. Dinner's ready! I know you're starving, too, so don't even –."

"It's okay," he panted out. "I'll be fine. You can – go on with the others. I'll catch up with you guys – later."

I pursed my lips at him. "I figured you would say that, but you have to eat to get you fill up your energy. Since I'm not really that hungry or tired, I can stay and practice with you –."

"Alex . . . You don't have to worry about me. You'll need to eat dinner more than I do. So please, go on."

". . ." I didn't say anything at first. That was probably the first, or maybe second, time that he's said 'please' to me. Not in a sarcastic way, but like he really meant it. I had to force back the feeling in my chest as I smiled and took my hand off of his shoulder. "Well, if you say so, Orange Head. You heard the man; let's go people!" I clapped my hands together while walking toward the doors with Orihime, Chad, and Uryu following close behind. Bobo jumped on my back instead of walking. She and Orihime were cheerful about dinner, but I heard and saw the worry and concern in Orihime's eyes as she glanced back at Ichigo before we left the room. It's obvious that she cared about him just as I did, but she shouldn't –. _'W-wait a minute, did I just say that I care about Ichigo__? For crying out loud . . . I'm getting tired of these weird butterflies in my stomach!'_

I noticed that Ganju stayed behind for a bit. He was probably telling Ichigo about his little trick that helped him form the cannonball. Maybe I check on him and make sure that he didn't blow anything up. I patted my body and pretended to have left something in the training room. "I guess it must have dropped it after I tried to stop Ichigo from killing Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko . . . Hey, you guys go on ahead. I think I forgot something back in the room," I waved with smile and quietly hurried back just in time to see Ganju leave through another door. I entered the room again and kept my breathing low so that Ichigo wouldn't hear me.

One minute he was trying out the little technique Ganju showed him; the next minute, I felt an overwhelming force from Ichigo that was out of control. The locket reacted to this as a blue light, which represented his Spirit Energy, glowed from the spade. I heard footsteps coming this way and knew it was the others and Kukaku hurrying to check out what was happening.

"You stupid idiot, concentrate your Spirit Energy!" she yelled. He listened to her, and the ball shrunk to a more comfortable size.

We were just as surprised as he was (well, mostly the others) when he realized that he finally able to get the cannonball. Before anyone else congratulated him, a small shock wave flashed at one of the corners, seizing our short celebration.

"You ignorant dumbass! Ya gotta stay focused!" Kukaku warned Ichigo as he stared at her with a confused face. Cracks then appeared, and the cannonball blew up completely. "What are you, friggin' deaf or friggin' stupid!? Remember, I told you that if you don't concentrate, you're gonna blow up."

"Yes, yes you did." Ichigo was lying down on the floor face down with her foot poking at his head. Smoke emitted from the ground while a new hole was where the ceiling used to be.

All I could do was giggle at the moment. It's not like I was mad at him for messing up, but he really should have stay focused, especially since it was his first time getting it right. But even so, I'm just happy to know that he could do it.

My eyes found their way staring up at the visible, night sky. It might just be temporary, but I think being in the Soul Society helped me regain a few more memories. It wasn't as much as I expected, but at least it would be enough for to me survive in the Seireitei.

_'That's right. Tomorrow, we'll be in the Seireitei but separated from each other.'_ As I thought this, a knot in my chest formed. I didn't think I was ready to be on my own just yet. This would probably be the hardest and toughest task I would ever encounter while being a part of this universe, yet it will also be the one where I grew the most, fighting skills and strength wise. I knew I didn't think I was ready. I knew I felt afraid and would rather stay behind and let the others do what they must, but I'm here for a reason. I wished for this to happen to me; I wished to be a part of this universe; I wished to fight by everyone's side. So dammit, I wasn't going to sit back and watch everything happen like an audience member.

Funny . . . My locket felt hot with determination, and it was coming from my own feelings this time.

* * *

"Alright then, are you all ready for the cannonball?" Yoruichi asked us. Her tail was reshaped like a bendable toothbrush by Ichigo when he fell asleep after the explosion. It took all four of us just to pry him off.

"Yes!" everyone chorused.

Just a few moments ago, Ganju had told us all about his brother Kaien and how he was killed by another Soul Reaper, which was of course Rukia. This was one of the few things that stayed in my memory, regardless of the other information I possibly lost. His words were so touching that I nearly cried like his lackeys and the guards. I was broken away from my thoughts from hearing Ichigo ask if Yoruichi could use the Reishukaku.

As expected, she said she would give it 'try' and made it look liked it was as easy as breathing. Ichigo, somewhat embarrassed and mortified, sat on the ground with his hands keeping him up. "I can see it bothers you, but I don't know why you find it so surprising. You'll learn that there are many things I can do that are far behind your reach."

After Kukaku spoke with Ganju for a moment, she turned to us. "If you're all ready to go, then the final countdown begins, now!" She made an opening in the Flower Crane Cannon and ordered us to get inside. Once we were all in position, we waited patiently for any further instructions. "The sun will be rising soon. That will be our signal to begin the launch ceremony," she told us from the outside.

"Now listen," Yoruichi was now the center of our attention as she started to tell of warnings and reminders. "Once we are inside the Seireitei, it is important that we stick together. If you are to encounter any captains, do not fight them. Don't even think about. Just run. Our goal is to rescue Rukia, so you must avoid taking any unnecessary risks."

The moment we heard Kukaku chanting for the ceremony, it was then that we were ordered to form the cannonball. Minutes after we had done so, Kukaku had fired us out of the Flower Crane Cannon, and we were shot up towards the early morning sky.

My heart was racing at a thousand miles per hour. Our journey was starting, now. I know this isn't normal for me, but I smiled like a fan-girl and squealed on the inside. In a matter of minutes, I would be meeting many of the Soul Reaper characters that will soon become our friends. First, though, we had to kick some of their asses.

* * *

_**I hope I did a somewhat decent job with the First person P.O.V. It's was actually my first time doing it. All of my other stories are usually Third person. But if a lot of you like it, that's when I'll keep up it and stick to the plan I said in the A/N before the chapter. Thank you again for reading the chapter!**_

_**Ciao!**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Before I start the chapter, I need to say a few things that involve you, the readers and reviewers. In the last chapter, I attempted to apply any ideas from my reviewers to make the story better or more interesting, but it didn't work out the way I wanted it to. I want you guys to understand that I get my inspiration from YOU, which means that whenever you send me a review, I actually care about what you say and see if I can find a way to put the potential ideas in the story. For example, one of my reviewers wanted Rukia to teach Alex kido before she was taken away. That was a successful idea. This is an unsuccessful idea: adding more romance in the story. I don't mean to beat down on someone from their suggestion, but it just doesn't work that way for Ichigo or Alex. So, I have to fix it in order to get back on track. Again, I don't want to offend anyone and stop them from giving me ideas, but please understand that this story is under Humor and Adventure, not Romance. I deeply apologize if you don't like that, but it's for the best that I keep the relationship growing at a reasonable pace. Once again, I'm sorry if my story doesn't appeal to you anymore for those of you that wanted romance. I have to go with the majority of readers and keep the romance real. I also apologize for rambling on, but this needed to be said. So, if you still want to read my story, I thank you for that. If you don't want to anymore, I will understand the drop of followers and favorites after I said my mind. The point is, you all now know that you are just as involved in writing this story as I am. **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of Bleach, only my OC Alex. **_

_**Thank you for taking the time to read my author's note, and Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Recap: Rukia's rescue team have just finished their training to use the Reishukaku, a cannonball that would help them penetrate through the Seireitei's barrier. As for Alex, she and Ichigo have been having a few moments together . . . or have they?**

* * *

**Chapter 22**

_Alex's P.O.V._

The cannonball was successfully shot into sky. Right now, inside the Reishukaku were Bobo and my friends, along with Yoruichi and Ganju. Sometimes, I kind of wondered if Bobo actually could use any Spirit Energy, or even fight at all. If that was the case, then I would have to worry about her and watch over her entire time, depending on whether or not she would travel with me.

I glanced at Ichigo from the corner of my eye. If it was true that he possibly did saw me likeable, then . . . That stupid feeling in my chest came back. I frowned and wanted to pound on it to stop the feeling, but as a recommendation of part two, everyone needed to focus and keep a constant input of Spirit Energy inside of the Reishukaku. On my left, luckily, was Bobo. This was my probably my only chance to ask her what her reason was for coming with us. A child didn't need to be on the frontlines, especially when dealing with strong ass captains, lieutenants, and high seated officers. Before I could say anything, Uryu had beaten me to it.

"Botania, I apologize if this sounds all of a sudden, but why are you here with us? And what are you? You're obviously not a spirit of any sort. You could be a human, but with the ability to fly, I highly doubt that to be possible, even with Spirit Energy."

"Uryu," Orihime nearly shouted. "I don't think you should. . ."

"I'm sorry, Orihime," he turned to the sweet girl, "But if I don't get an answer, then I'll have no choice but to –."

"I'm a Child of the Stars," Bobo answered him with a straight face. My muscles tensed up a bit, and I nearly forced in more energy than I was supposed to. I hoped that she was making the right decision. "And if you think that I can't fight because I am a child then it's alright. I'll tell everyone more about my people when we reach the Seireitei, okay?" she smiled happily.

I stared at Bobo in utter shock. I didn't think that she would actually agree to share about herself and where she came from. I wanted to ask if she was going to include the part about my two wishes (well, one wish, now), but that would only bring up even more questions. "Bobo, are you sure you want to do that?" I asked her.

She nodded her head, making her hat's green bunny ears bounce. "It would help clear up a few things that you were probably wondering, too. Besides, just between you and me, this isn't my real form," she whispered loudly, obviously letting the rest hear her while she winked at me. I really wanted to slap my forehand then.

"Wait, what the hell do you mean that isn't your real form?" Ichigo asked.

Bobo giggled and flew up to bonk him on the head with her staff. "Sorry, I can't tell you until we reach the Seireitei!"

"Dammit, what the hell, you little brat?" he held his hurting head and accidentally exerted more of his Spirit Energy.

Orihime felt it and winced. "Ichigo, I think you're releasing too much energy!"

"What? Crap, I'll try to back off." Ichigo breathed in to lower his energy but regardless ended up with too much left over.

"Ichigo, you gotta lower it a little more," Uryu put in.

"Are you kidding me? I already lowered my output by half!"

"Ichigo," Chad finally said. I almost got scared for a second there. If Chad kept staying quiet like that, I think he might just lose his voice or something. Well, I guess it might not work that way, but still.

"Alright, alright, I'm working on it!"

I heard Ganju trying to recite his chant but messed a line or two. This was bad. This was _really _bad. He stopped chanting and blew up on Ichigo. "Would you shut up? You and your big mouth made me repeat the same line twice!"

Knowing Ichigo, he tagged along the fighting train and made things worse. "Don't blame me just because you can't remember your stupid chant!"

"That 'stupid chant' could save your precious life if you could shut your big yap!"

A tick mark throbbed near my temple. My mouth twitched in anger as the others tried to stop them from fighting. _'This useless fighting is _seriously _getting old, now!'_ "If the two of you don't stop yammering and acting like a couple of dim-wits, I'll go Kukaku on both of your asses!"

At the mention of her name, I saw them both stop immediately and freeze with nervous sweat drops rolling down their head. "W-We're sorry, ma'am!" They said in unison, already knowing the death wish they would have made if they kept at it.

"Hey, you guys! Look over there!" Bobo looked over her shoulder while admiring the site ahead of them. We all spotted the Seireitei as we continued to hurtle toward it. The cannonball became closer and closer to the barrier. I saw yellow sparks appear more frequently with each passing second as well.

"We're going to crash!" Uryu said, thinking that the sparks were a sign that we would hit the barrier soon.

"Don't panic. The only way for you to survive this is by pouring in all of the Spirit Energy you've got. Do it now!" Yoruichi said. Everyone began to put in heap loads of energy into the crystal in order to successfully get through. Moments later, the cannonball hit the barrier and struggled to enter the other side. The battle of breaking the membrane commenced.

We were almost there. We were so close to reaching the next step in saving Rukia. With this in mind, I poured in more of my Spirit Energy, determined to get pass this obstacle. I wasn't so sure of how much strength we put into the Reishukaku, but my question was answered when we were finally on the other side with the cannonball destroyed. We lingered in the air for a while, and Ichigo had asked why this was happening.

"The cannonball was destroyed by the shield," Yoruichi started while shouting to us, "But its residual energy will hold us up until it dissolves. It will then become a whirlpool then explode and vanish. We must stick together, because anyone who gets separated will be blown away by the explosion!" The whirlpool she just mentioned appeared and started sucking us inside of it.

I could feel the strong force of the vortex pulling me in. At first, I never thought that I could somewhat move around, but when I saw Ganju breast stroking toward Ichigo like he was swimming, I was proven wrong. They bumped into each other and fought again, earning them a comical glare courtesy of yours truly. "Dammit you two, are you seriously having a petty fight at a time like this!?"

"Grab the person closest to you and hold on tight!" Yoruichi interrupted. "Don't let go of them, no matter what!"

Everyone hurried to pair up with someone before the whirlpool exploded. Chad had Orihime, and Ichigo was unfortunately stuck with Ganju. I searched around for Bobo but couldn't find her. I started to worry and wondered if she was already blown away, but the extra weight around my waist calmed my nerves as a sigh left my lips. "When did you even grab onto me?"

"Just now, really," she answered, still bearing her childish smile. It kind of felt nice to know that one of us would stay smiling no matter the situation.

"Oh Chad, no!" someone yelled from a distance. I turned to see Orihime with Uryu beside her.

'_Wasn't Chad with her just a second ago?' _I asked myself. My eyes went to the hole that was made. Chad must've sacrificed himself to save Uryu from being separated from us. I always knew him to be a kind and helpful giant.

"Alex, Orihime, take my hand!" Ichigo shouted as he reached for us.

I brought my attention up toward the two other groups with two or three members. Even if it was inevitable that we were to be split up, I still tried to grab on to my friends' hand. With Bobo on my waist, I stretched my hand out as far as it could go. Orihime and Ichigo did the same while moving closer toward the center. Our hands were about to touch when the whirlpool decided to explode, shooting each of us out into five different direction.

* * *

I didn't remember much after we made impact with a garden, but I at least knew that Bobo was with me. I stood up from the mess I made from my fall while rubbing my arm. There was slight pain in the fore arm, but it wasn't serious. Bobo flew up to my face and checked to see if I was alright. "Is your arm hurting? We did hit the ground pretty hard," she admitted, scratching her cheek with a finger innocently, "But that was only because you protected me."

"That's alright. As long as it doesn't affect me while I'm fighting, I don't mind." I rolled my shoulder and found that it was still usable. "What's more important is that we need to find out where we are and look for the . . . look for the . . ." I sweat dropped, smiling sheepishly in the process. "And there goes another important piece of information."

"Huh?"

"Remember when you said that I would eventually lose most of my memories of the show? Well, I already lost a large amount of them, and all I can remember now are the people Ichigo and the others met while they were here," I explained, hanging my head afterwards. "And the worst part of it is that I don't know where Rukia is being held anymore, or even the way around this huge ass place."

I felt Bobo pat her small hand on my side. "It's okay; no need to beat yourself up for it. You couldn't help it. But at least you're resisting the memory loss and still have some left."

"Yeah, you're probably right," I sighed while straightening myself up. From the looks of it, we were in an empty part of the Seireitei, at the moment that is. Soul Reapers from the 13 Court Guard Squads would be swarming the place in search of the intruders, which were of course us, not to mention we're also Ryoka. Damn, everything just kept on piling up. I turned and crouched down to come face to face with Bobo with a serious look in my green eyes. "Well, since we have some time before Soul Reapers start checking the place out, I need to tell you about something that happened at Kukaku's."

"Really," Bobo crossed her legs in mid-air, "What happened?"

I sighed and sat down, too. My hands held my temple while massaging it. I needed to start from the beginning, because there was so much bouncing around in my head. "Actually, I think it all started when we were in the village. It wasn't as bad as it was then, but I still noticed something off about him. You see, Ichigo has been acting . . . _different_."

"How so?" she tilted her head and waited for me to continue.

"Well, for starters, he's been switching personalities or something. One minute he's his usually hard-headed self, and the next minute he doesn't want me out of his sight. I don't get! That's not the Ichigo Kurosaki I know. Something happened to him while we were here, but I don't know where to start looking for the reason or cause," I explained, falling back on the grass as it tickled my arms when they fell. "Do you know why he's acting like that, Bobo?"

"Uh, well . . . I might have an idea of how it happened," Bobo said, sounding a little weird about it.

I sat up again with one eyebrow arched upwards. I gave her a questioning stare as I narrowed my eyes at her gray ones. "Why do you sound so suspicious?" And then it hit me. "What the hell did you do?!"

Her arms flailed aimlessly while she comically cried, apologizing the entire time. Because of how fast she talked, I couldn't understand most of what she was saying. I grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to calm down. "Bobo, relax, would you? Slow down and tell me what you did. It's not like I'm going to kill you because of what you did. Well, that actually depends on whether or not you did this on purpose."

"B-B-But it was an accident, honest!" she cried. Literally, she had tears coming out of her eyes, sniffling and whatnot. I felt pretty bad for making her cry in the first place. I didn't mean to make myself sound as if I was going to hurt her.

"Look," I sighed while setting her down in front of me, "Just tell me what happened and I'll forgive you, okay?" I crouched down to her level, patting her head and smiling at her comfortingly as an older sibling would. I guess that's what our relationship was growing into.

After Bobo wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, she looked up at me with her big gray eyes and began her story. "It was when everyone split up to look around the village we were. I was by myself, looking and playing around, enjoying the friendliness of most of the kids there, along with a few adults and elders. Then, after watching a few kids playing tag, I spotted Ichigo heading somewhere. I hurried over to him by flying, and . . . my Celestial Staff might have hit him on the head. Not only that, but I think some of the stardust made him a _tiny_ bit infatuated with you."

I almost felt my eyes nearly pop out of their sockets from how large they grew. Even if I said I wasn't going to hurt her, no matter what, this would have to be an exception. "A '_tiny_'bit?!" my voice scared off a few birds in the trees. I quickly slapped a hand over my mouth, afraid that some of the Soul Reapers could have heard me. Well, there went my plan of peace and quiet. "Do you have any idea how confused and strange I felt?" I said in a harsh tone. "I kept arguing with myself, thinking that Ichigo actually had feelings for a girl! Not that I'm saying he's gay or anything, but does he seem like the type of guy that shows his affection for someone? Of course not! He's Ichigo for crying out loud! He's the kind of person that rarely flirts or shows his feelings, probably not at all!"

"Really?" Bobo actually seemed surprised at the fact that Ichigo was like that. "Wow, that's sad. I kind of thought him to be a smooth operator or a player, or is that Mizuiro?"

"How the hell is that sad?" I switched to comical rage mode with white eyes and shark teeth replacing my normal ones. "What do you expect from a guy who's lost his mother at a young age? And it was by a hollow!"

"Didn't you tell me about that episode when you skipped school, too?"

"Yeah, so?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I was only asking, sheesh! This is why I don't like being in my true form: teenagers are so moody!"

I gawked at the annoying girl with one eye furiously twitching. She had the audacity to call us moody when she was . . . "Wait, are you saying that you're actually a teenager and not a nine year old? Is that what you meant?"

"Of course that's what I meant! But, for now, I'll be saying in this child form until a situation too big for it comes along."

"Wow," I deadpanned. "You even talk like a teenager. Well, a more proper and sophisticated one, I guess."

"Aw, thank you, Alex!" she yelled while jumping and hugging me tight. She finally let go when she saw that I was losing the air in my lungs. "Oops, I'm sorry. I guess my strength as a teen is still there."

As I soothed my mid-section from the tight squeeze, I comically glared at her from the corner of my eyes. "Uh huh, you keep thinking that, ya little twit."

"I heard a few voices over here!"

"Don't just stand, lead the way!"

"You think it could be the intruders?"

My panic levels rose within me. _'Dammit, they found us! No thanks to me and my big mouth, we're gonna get ourselves captured or killed," _I thought to myself. Then, an idea came into mind. _'It's not such a bad idea, but I think I'll save it for when I face someone of greater authority, like a lieutenant or a captain.' _

After grabbing Bobo and putting her over my shoulder, I leaped high in the air and landed on the spine of the roof. I started running off to who knows where. All I wanted to do was get the hell out of there and find out some information concerning Rukia's imprisonment. I hoped that everyone else was alright, though.

To see if any of the Soul Reapers followed or saw us, I looked over my shoulder and thankfully found no one there. A sigh came out as I turned my head to face forwards again. I wished I hadn't have done that, because I somehow missed a turn and dropped a few yards and landed on the ground. Bobo's lucky behind stayed afloat and just sat there watching me. _'You know, it would have been SO nice if I was saved at the last minute before falling and possibly hurting something! And what did I land on, anyway?'_ It felt as if there was heat coming from the object, along with movement . . . and a heartbeat . . . and hot breath breathing down my side . . . Maybe jinxing myself while thinking about my idea in my head wasn't such a good idea.

I carefully got off of the person I landed on. I stole a glance at them, only to spot a tattooed '69' on his left cheek and a blue stripe going across the same cheek and over the bridge of his nose. Three scar lines went over his right eye and down his right cheek. He wore a black, square spaced choker around his neck and his upper arms. When I sat up, I noticed that his robes were sleeveless, and that he had raven hair and eyes as dark as storm clouds. My heart raced and nearly pumped out of my chest from the fear rising inside of me. Then again, it could have been the fangirl side of me; he was one of my favorite characters and clearly deserved more screen time in some of the episodes.

I saw the slight irritation and annoyance in his hard eyes, realizing that I was still sitting on his stomach. A huge sweat drop rolled down the back of my head as I scratched my head with a sheepish smile. "I'm s –." _'Wait a second, the plan!'_ I quickly stood and helped him up, bowing afterwards in respect. "A thousand apologies, Lieutenant Hisagi, for I didn't realize that it was you that I fell upon!"

I felt his eyes on me, narrowing into slits as he took in my appearance. This was what I was afraid of the most. "What squad are you from?" Shuhei asked, unsure of whether or not I was one of them. And hey, don't I get a 'Hello' or 'That's okay, as long as no one got hurt'?

"Squad 10, sir," I straightened my posture and faced him again. He had his arms crossed and came closer to me. It took every fiber in me not to scream like the fangirl I sometimes am.

"Alright, if you are a seated officer, what is your rank?"

'_Dammit, Shuhei, can't you just let me go without an interrogation?' _I groaned mentally. "I am ranked 6th seat."

The plan was working well, aside from the cautiousness and questions. Well, everything would have been fine if he hadn't leaned in and asked that one last question. "Okay, 6th seat, what about your name?"

'_Oh, you son of a biscuit! Can't you just let me be on my merry way, so I can find Rukia and meet up with my friends?' _I had to think of a name and fast! Any sign of hesitation would have automatically blown my cover, and I would've been screwed! "My name is Teruko Amane." Whew! I'm glad I came up with _something_!

I watched Shuhei slowly stand straight again with his arms still crossed over his chest. He didn't seem completely convinced, but he must have remembered what he was doing before the incident and let it go. "Alright, Amane, you're free to return to the search, and I'll allow you're little 'fall' to pass by, _this _time." My head nodded once in understanding before he left and returned to his headquarters.

When he was far enough for me to relax without his noticing, I sighed heavily and dropped to my knees. "Man, the first person I face just had to be a _lieutenant_. To be honest, it actually beats meeting with a captain, because I surely would have been screwed."

"Aw, don't tell me you have a thing for that guy!" I heard Bobo say while she descended down from above. "I thought you had your eyes set on Strawberry?"

A huge tick mark throbbed on my head, and my teeth grounded against the other as I glared at her. "What the hell do you mean by that? And I _don't _have a 'thing' for anyone!"

She shook her head, making a 'tsk, tsk' sound. "You're in such denial that an idiot like that Keigo kid could see."

"Why, you little –!"

"Hey you, is she one of the intruders?" someone called from afar. We both whipped our heads and spotted a large group of Soul Reapers, a ranked officer leading them. A sweat drop came rolling our heads.

"To the hell with this, get your little ass in high gear!" I shouted to Bobo and hurried out of there with her following behind. The group, however, was faster thinkers unlike the other one and soon began chasing us.

We ran through the maze-like roads of the Seireitei and went pass barracks, bars, and vacant areas. I heard a loud cry belonging to a certain girl I knew. _'It sounded like Orihime!' _I thought to myself, happy to know that I was near her and most likely Uryu, since they ended up as a group. I started to sense their spiritual pressures and smiled even brighter. I just needed to run a little further down this way and . . .

"You must stop this instant! If you don't, then we will have no other choice but to see you as a traitor and take you as prisoner, along with the intruder!"

"Oh, for the bloody love of Crud!" I spun on my heel and faced the upcoming crowd of Soul Reapers. Bobo skidded to a halt as well. They were quickly approaching, so I had to do this quick. Honestly, I have to say that I didn't plan on using her on such low ranked officers, but it couldn't be helped. My hand reached behind me and took hold of my Zanpakuto's handle. Unsheathing it somewhat frightened the Soul Reapers but didn't entirely scare them off.

"Fine then, you asked for it." I twirled the sword in my hand while whispering, "Conduct their deaths, Shi e no Setsuka."

* * *

_**I know you're probably yelling at me, but I have to stop it here. It's a pretty short chapter, I know, but don't worry, though. Another chapter will be up soon this week, and another one or two will definitely be up next week, since that's my winter break. **_

_**Ciao!**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Hey everyone! Yeah, I realize that I'm quick on yet another update, but that's only because I actually have more free time again. So to make up for all of the other late chapters, I'm updating about two more this week, depending on how well written it is. Anyway, I want to thank you all for reading and reviewing the last two chapters! Oh, and before I forget: Shi e no Setsuka's name means "Lethal Melody". That's something one of my reviewers pointed out, and I did forget to add that in the A/N. Now, enough of my rambling! It's time to get to reading!**_

_**I own none of the plot or characters from Bleach, just my OCs Alex and Botania.**_

_**Something to keep in mind while reading:**_

"_**This is when a Zanpakuto is talking."**_

"This is regular speech."

'_These are for thoughts.'_

"_And these are for flashback conversations."_

___**Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Recap: After being separated from the group, Alex and Bobo are now on their own and must find out where Rukia is and save her before her execution. However, Alex has forgotten one important thing: the place where Rukia is being held! And with a massive bunch of Soul Reapers pursuing her and Bobo, things have started to get interesting.**

* * *

**Chapter 23**

_Alex's P.O.V._

"Conduct their deaths, Shi e no Setsuka," I quietly said under my breath, giving one last twirl of my now released Zanpakuto. As I slammed the end of the weapon down, it was completely transformed into a scythe.

Mystic type designs traveled along its pale gray staff until stopping by wrapped bandages near the end and top before continuing again. From those bandages were silk ribbons bearing a hue akin to a storm cloud. They danced with the wind that blew as a result from the release, but those were shorter compared to the longer ones protruding from the top of the staff. The blade of the scythe was a dark gray with an edge having a lighter shade, the thin curve of it reflecting off the light of the sun. The back edge of it was pointed out, and on the other side of it was a smaller blade protruding from the staff. Just holding this scythe made had me feeling unworthy of actually having the chance to wield and use it.

I stared at Shi e no Setsuka's Shikai in awe. The powers and abilities she might pass on to me would probably be bad ass if you ask me. Actually, she seemed like a pretty bad ass person in her manifested state. It wouldn't be so much of a surprise if her moves were so skillful. Only problem is: I didn't know if I could really use them. Sure, I could beat most of everyone's behind with my combat skills, but when it came to using my Zanpakuto, that was a whole nother story.

The Soul Reapers before Bobo and I all halted a few feet or more away, taking in the appearance of us and my Zanpakuto. I heard some of them whisper among one another. I listened in and heard one of them saying, "The intruders can use their Shikai?" and "Maybe if we grab the little girl, we'll easily get the other one and capture them both. That way, we can find out where the other Ryoka are."

I saw a few heads nod in agreement to their comrade's suggestion. My hand was itching to slam itself against my forehead. Did they not realize that I might have been able to hear them and their plans? Geez, even Ichigo wasn't that stupid . . . Well, I wouldn't say he was _entirely _stupid. He's my friend and all, but it's possible that he's being influenced by others' stupidity and nonsense; most likely he's dad and Keigo.

"You there!" one of the unseated officers called to me. "State your name, squad, and position!"

My free hand grabbed another free space on Shi e no Setsuka's staff, bringing the weapon into a fighting stance. "Alex Rosewood. And sorry, but I don't have a squad. You won't be able to tell anyone else about me though, 'cause I'm gonna kick all of your asses right here and now!"

At first, they only looked at me with a blank stare, and then after about a minute, loud bursts of laughter filled the air. Honestly, men can't ever understand that a woman could kick some serious ass! I mean, seriously! Take Yoruichi for example: she was the head of the Punishment Force when she was here in the Soul Society herself! And don't get me started on Kukaku. If I hadn't have gotten myself involved in Ichigo and Ganju's fight, the rest of them would have seen why she had to switch houses so many times! "I'm sorry, but is there supposed to be something _amusing_ about what I said?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, of course!" the seated officer said. "With so many of us, there's absolutely no possible way for _you _to take us on alone and actually defeat us without getting yourself killed!"

A huge tick mark throbbed on my head. These guys were sincerely asking for a death wish. "So, you want to underestimate me, huh? Well, if you're so sure that I can't beat you," I switched stances and held my scythe to the side with both arms, "Why don't I go ahead and let you sleep through my _boring _performance? Shi no komori-uta (Death's Lullaby)."

As they continued to laugh away, the ribbons on Shi e no Setsuka changed to a hard black. A sad yet soft, gentle melody was orchestrated as I swiftly charged toward them and cut all of them down one by one. Each fell instantly with a long gash in random places on their body, depending on where I slashed them. By the time I reached the other side of the group, all were defeated.

I stood over one of them as they were able to stay awake, but they struggled to keep it up. A hard frown was etched on my features while my green eyes bore down into the Soul Reaper's, his blue ones shaking with fear. "I bet you're sorry for ever treating my skills the way you and your friends did. But since you've managed to stay awake, which won't last for long, I'll let you in on a little secret about Shi no komori-uta's power. When activated, the ribbons on my scythe react by changing to the ability's respective color it represents while emitting the sorrowful sound of the lullaby. I noticed that most of you stopped laughing for a moment to listen to the sad melody, just before you were all cut down like trees. Shi e no Setsuka's music has that effect on nearly all her opponents. As the tune distracts my enemy, I come in and slash down those who are listening, injecting the full extent of the lullaby's power into their bodies, completely paralyzing and putting them into a deep slumber soon afterwards."

I watched his eyed widen as he seemed to be losing his grip on staying awake. I stood up while my Zanpakuto's staff rested on my shoulder. "Thing is: I don't know how long it will last. It could be a few minutes, maybe hours . . . or even days," I said, facing the other way. "It most certainly deserves to be the second most powerful attack out of my Shikai's three." The man let out a strained yell as he gave in to Shi no komori-uta, allowing the sorrowful lullaby that continued to ring in his head to put him to sleep. "Sweet dreams, Soul Reaper."

I walked away from the injured bodies and went back over to Bobo. She blinked her gray eyes at me, probably from how I took down every last Soul Reaper. I dismissed Shi e no Setsuka as I had an image of her smiling satisfyingly from underneath the fabric masking her mouth. I jumped back at first but then followed in suit. It was the first time that I ever used her Shikai, and I had to say that it felt amazing.

After sheathing her back into her light purple scabbard, I patted Bobo on the head, letting her know that it was time for us to keep searching for our friends. She nodded after being broken from her slight daze and ran along with me. Orihime and Uryu's presence didn't feel as close as they were before my fight. They must have defeated whoever they were up against and quickly left the scene before any others would find them. I sighed to myself, thinking that I would be spending most of my time either chasing or being chased.

"Hey, Ganju, where the hell are you!?" a familiar voice yelled. "If you can hear me, shoot off some fireworks to let me know where you are, dumbass!"

I abruptly stopped myself and lifted my head to the sky. "I know only one person that's dumb enough to risk revealing his location like that." I smiled, shaking my head while closing my eyes. "Ichigo, you are something else, you know that?"

"Who are you talking to?" Bobo asked while staring up at me.

"Uh, I was just thinking aloud," I said while rubbing my neck and sweat dropping. "Anyway, I think that was Ichigo, so we better hurry if we want to meet up with him." I ran and again before making a sharp left turn. _'I'm guessing that he's already defeated Ikkaku by now and is looking for Ganju. Hopefully, all of this running around won't force us to go off track from each other any farther than it has.' _

I heard the battle cries of a few Soul Reapers. They probably heard Ichigo and were chasing after him right now. I needed to pick up the pace if I wanted to find him. "Come on, Bobo, hurry up!" I said while my feet sped up.

"Did you already forget that I could fly, Alex?" Bobo stated matter-of-factly, demonstrating her point as she flew beside me.

"What?!" I could feel the increase of heat in my shoes after skidding to a halt and used one foot to stop myself completely. "You have got to be friggin' kidding me! But wait, won't it be easier for them to spot us if we flew?"

Bobo placed a finger to her chin, thinking about it and realizing that I was right. "Oh yeah, I guess that wouldn't be such a great idea, huh?"

I smacked my hand against my forehead before it slid down my face. "Well, no duh! That's why we have to figure out a way to speed up the process." Both of my hands rested on my hips as I tried to think of another idea. Coming up with nothing, I sighed before breaking out into a run again. "Forget it. We'll just have to keep running and hope for the best."

Instead of running, Bobo flew to save her breath, although I'm pretty sure that flying would take up some of her energy as well. "Hey, who's that up ahead?"

"Huh?" I asked before bringing my attention to a Soul Reaper walking crossroad. She carried a stack of papers in her hands, most likely paperwork that needed to be delivered. I didn't see a Zanpakuto on her, so she must have either left it behind or forgot it by accident. I noticed how close she was starting to get. I wonder why that was –. "Whoa, watch out!"

The young woman screamed right before we collided. All of her paperwork was sent flying around the area as they floated to the ground. On that ground was the Soul Reaper and I soothing our heads from the painful collision. Man, just how hard was her head?

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that," she apologize while grabbing any nearby papers after the pain in her noggin went away. "I guess I wasn't paying attention, again. My imaginations sometimes lead to daydreaming, and I end up in an entirely different squad barrack after coming out of La La land." She pushed her red, squared rimmed glasses up the ridge of her nose. Her light skin complexion brought out the darkness of her brown eyes. As she helped herself up, she fixed her short light brown hair and brushed the bang in the front to the left side.

After gathering all the paperwork, the young woman faced me and bowed respectively. "Once again, I am very sorry about bumping into you . . . Um. . . I'm sorry, what is your name again?"

'_I never even told you it in the first place, smart one,' _I thought to myself. Either way, I stood up and introduced myself with the name and title I gave Shuhei just in case. "Teruko Amane. I'm Squad 10's 6th seat. What about you?"

"I am Mihane Shirogane, and I am the 9th seat under Captain Kuchiki. It's a pleasure to meet someone from Squad 10!" Mihane said, beaming me with her glad smile. To be honest, I've never seen her in any of the episodes I've watched. Maybe she was one of those characters that had little to none screen time. Or maybe I did, but I didn't usually see that much of her?

Anyway, where the heck did Bobo run off to this time? I sensed her presence a short while ago, but I guess she flew off somewhere else to hide. She must have caught on to my plan and did her part whenever another Soul Reaper would come by, mostly likely a seated officer, a lieutenant, or a captain.

I sighed with a hand resting on my hip. Ichigo could be long gone by now. That's just great. Now I have to pursue the dumbass, _again_. Hey, maybe he might be stupid enough to call out for Ganju again, giving me a chance to find out where he could be! If that's the case, I better get a move on it. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Mihane, but I have to go now," I started heading on my way until she stopped me.

"How come you're leaving in such a hurry? Is it because you found the Ryoka responsible for taking down our men, including 3rd seat Ikkaku Madarame?" Mihane asked while stepping forward. The grip on the papers tightened as her eyes stared down at her feet. "I can't understand how a small group of Ryoka can do so much in such a short amount of time."

"Well . . ." I trailed off, sweat dropping in the process. "They seem to be a scary, little bunch, huh? All of this mess couldn't have been for nothing though, right? They must have a good reason for it." And we did. Besides, I wouldn't think it'll be that easy for them to catch us, anyway.

"That's true, considering the fact that they went through so much just to enter the Seireitei. I mean, even after defeating Jidanbo and surviving against Captain Ichimaru, they'd never quit and kept going. To be honest, I have to complement on their dedication," Mihane looked up to the sky with a warm smile, possibly thinking of a time where she had that same dedication or wished she did. "And get this: from what I've heard from rumors and reports, we're up against five teenage humans and one child. There's also a feline cat with them, but what could an animal do?" she joked.

'_Trust me, you'll see that that 'animal' can do a whole lot more than you ever imagined.' _"Really . . . that is insane," I answered, trying to hold back a chuckle. I didn't know why I wanted to, but it just felt appropriate at the time. A loud blast was heard a good distance away from where we stood. Smoke lifted in the air from the affected area. I felt a familiar spiritual pressure and soon identified it to be the kind giant I knew all too well. "Chad, you big dummy, you can't blow stuff up all freely like that," I whispered under my breath, hoping that Mihane didn't hear me.

"Whoa!" Mihane shouted with a hand on her face. "Do you think it's the Ryoka?" I guess she didn't hear me, being distracted from the explosion and all.

I played along and nodded in agreement. "I think so. I better go check it out and see how much damage was caused," I said while heading off to the site of the blast. It was when I was halfway there that I heard another pair of running footsteps following behind me. I first thought it was Bobo coming out of her hiding place, but the spiritual pressure felt like Mihane's. As I thought, it was her. "Mihane, why are you coming along with me?" I yelled over my shoulder as I saw her running with her papers held tightly to her chest.

"I may not be armed with my Zanpakuto, but I can still fight in case any of the Ryoka are there!" she replied, picking up speed and finally catching up with me. "Besides, I would rather do this than to report right back to my barracks after dropping off this paperwork. The Captain isn't in much of good mood ever since his sister was arrested. Then again, when is Captain Kuchiki ever in a 'cheery' mood?"

I sweat dropped at her, somewhat agreeing with her statement/question. She was actually right about that. Byakuya hasn't shown the slightest bit of a smile since . . . When _has _he ever smiled? "Yeah, I second that." As we were heading toward the heap of rubble, a huge cloud of smoke came into view, along with the flying bodies of Soul Reapers. I saw a few dots moving towards us. Wait a minute . . . isn't that . . .?

"Oh, sugar honey iced tea!" I screamed at the top of my lungs right before Ichigo and Ganju knocked Mihane and I over, trampling all over us and leaving footprints on our backs. Our bodies twitched every now and then from the pain that shot throughout them. I carefully lifted my head just in time to watch those two idiots run away from the hoard of Squad 11 Soul Reapers. By now, the whole lot of them was beaten senseless courtesy of Chad, Ichigo, and Ganju. The reason why I included Chad was because I felt his presence, and it was so close to me that it was basically on top of me.

I overheard Chad asking them about where Rukia was. One of the Soul Reapers told him that she was being held in a tall white tower. Chad then left to continue the rescue mission. What that Soul Reaper said had got me thinking about the official name for it. _'A tall white tower . . . Tall white tower . . .' _I kept repeating in my mind as I tried to remember the name of that tower. I didn't think that many prisoners went there unless it was to repent for –. "The Repentance Cell!" I whispered to myself in triumph.

Mihane heard me and raised her head from the ground. "What about it?" she asked in a painful and tired tone.

"Uh, that's where Rukia Kuchiki is being held, right?" I lied. Technically, no, I wasn't lying, because I really did need some form of confirmation. My head was still fighting to keep the memory that tried to slip away from it. There was barely anything left, so I couldn't allow myself to lose anymore of these things, whether they were major bits of information or not.

"Yes, my Captain's sister has already been transferred from our Squad's barracks to the Repentance Cell. It's only a matter of days until her execution, now." Mihane brushed herself off while standing back on her feet, fixing her hair and adjusting her glasses up the ridge of her nose. "Have you forgotten about it or something? It wasn't long since she was arrested and brought back from the World of the Living."

My eyes trailed down to the tiled roads of the Seireitei, a slight grimace on my face. _'Since she was brought back from _our _world, you mean. The world where Ichigo and everyone I knew met. The world where I also became a Substitute Soul Reaper . . .' _"Yeah . . . I guess I was just thinking about something else just as serious and might have let it slipped my mind." I gently bowed my head slightly and allowed a few strands of my chocolate hair to fall on either side of my face, framing it while a larger chunk of it was held up in a ponytail by Rukia's hair-tie.

"Are you alright, Teruko? You seem a little down," Mihane said, leaning forward to actually try to see my saddened face. "What's bothering you, anyway?"

I let out a tiring sigh then raised my head, giving her a fake smile as a reassurance that I was fine. "Nah, nothing's bothering me. It could just be fatigue getting the best of me," I said to her. She still had the paperwork in her hands. It's a miracle that they didn't fly in every possible direction when those lug-nuts hit us. "Hey, shouldn't you be getting that paperwork turned in?"

"Oh my, I completely forgot about that!" Mihane hurried back to her barracks in a clumsy fashion. "I'll be seeing you, Teruko!" she shouted over her shoulder while waving to me.

I returned the wave and shouted, "Later, Mihane!" I had a feeling she would be one of my own friends from the Soul Society, just like Rangiku was to Orihime. Heck, we could be the best of friends, too!

As there was excitement growing inside of me, a few groans of aches and pain were heard from behind me. I spun around to see the Squad 11 members regaining consciousness, and they did not look the very bit pleased about being defeated by two measly Ryoka. But what could they do, though? Their opponents were Ichigo and Ganju. Well, Ichigo put up more of a fight. Ganju was just . . . Okay, no comment there.

"Hey, you, where the hell did those two Ryoka and Squad 4 weakling go?" one of them asked me.

On the inside, I wanted to kick this guy in the face for calling Hanataro a weakling. On the outside . . . Who was I kidding? I went ahead and slammed my foot against the side of the asshole's head either way. "Don't you dare call him a weakling! If we didn't have Squad 4, all of your asses would be dead by now, especially since you can't use Kido to save your life!"

"What did you say, girlie? Don't tell me you're actually standing up for those lame asses – OW!"

I figured that a few good jabs in the stomach would shut him up. He didn't deserve to continue insulting their own fellow comrades, even if they were from different squads. Squad 4 was just as important as Squad 11. "Now, you better listen and listen well. If I ever hear any of you dogging on the members of Squad 4, I _promise _that I will beat every single last one of you senseless! Understand?" To add more emphasize to my threat, I stomped on his lower stomach multiple times while yelling, "I said, do you understand me?!"

The idiot flailed his arms and legs, actually giving in and begging me to stop. "Alright, alright, I won't insult them anymore! Just quit kicking me, dammit!"

I smirked victoriously, letting my foot off of his body. "Good; I'm glad we came to an understanding." Without another word leaving my mouth, I spun on my heel and ran back to where Bobo was waiting. Just as I was about to call out for her, she came out of nowhere and landed on my back, shouting in joy and glee like it was some kind of ride.

"So, I see you made a new friend!" she said with a big smile. "Do you really think we'll meet up with her again? You know, after we save Rukia?"

I looked at her and then back ahead of me. I was silent for a moment or two, but words finally came out with a slight smile on my face. "Of course we will, Bobo. I think she deserves to have a little more excitement in her life, don't you think?"

* * *

I stared out at the Seireitei from the roof of a tall building. No, I wasn't already at the Repentance Cell; just one of the many other towers. I was crouching and leaning against an adjoining wall, searching for any signs of Ichigo and Ganju, Uryu and Orihime, or Chad and Yoruichi, even though the last two weren't paired up. But that doesn't matter. What does matter is that I find them and tell them where Rukia is being held. Once I did so, we'll all be one step closer in our rescue mission. I'm sure that Hanataro has already told Ichigo about the white tower and were on their way there right now. But for some odd reason, there was this feeling in my chest that continued to tighten every second I ignored it. Why did it do that, and what was the strange feeling trying to warn me about? I guess there's only one way to find out. "Bobo, we're going ahead to the Repentance Cell," I boldly decided, standing and jumping off of the roof. Before touching the ground, I rolled forward to cut my chances of a hard fall.

"But . . . How come we're going there now without telling the others about it? Wasn't that the plan just a while ago?" she asked while floating down to my side.

As I stood and faced her, a sigh came out. "Yes, Bobo, but it's like you just said: it's been a while since I said that. I know it's unnatural for me to give up so easily, but I'm not quitting, just taking a break from the search, which I'll get back to later." My legs started to move and began leading me toward the Repentance Cell. Bobo soon followed, and I heard her heaving a chunk of air while shaking her head.

"I might just have to change back sooner than I thought," she said. "Are you sure you want to do this, Alex?"

I gave her a quick nod and resumed my focus on maneuvering through the Seireitei's road ways. I knew what she meant about whether or not I was ready. Up ahead would be Renji and Ichigo duking it out. I personally didn't think that it started yet, but it was surely going to begin soon. I felt the need to hurry and get there, so I leaned my torso down more and let my hands hang by sides, kind of the way a ninja would run if you thought about it.

The sudden clash of spiritual pressures told me that it's already begun and has been that way for some time by now. _'Dammit! Can't I go any faster than this?' _I yelled in my mind. I would ask Bobo if she could just fly us over there, but that's an automatic giveaway that I was a Ryoka and not a legit Soul Reaper. When did decision making become so difficult? _'There must be another way to get through this maze of a place . . .' _Forcing my feet to come to a halt, my eyes stared out in space while my mind came up with a possible idea. _'Spirit Ribbons,' _I simply stated to myself. _'If I can get a hold of Ichigo's Ribbon in particular, I might find a route short enough to get me to where he is!' _I took in a deep breath, closed my eyes, and reduced any body movement to a minimum to concentrate on pinpointing Ichigo's Spirit Ribbon.

A white glow faded in below my feet, surrounding me in a circle big enough for me alone. Seconds had passed, and then finally, multiple red Spirit Ribbons shot up from the ground. They danced elegantly while waiting patiently for my hand to choose only one of them, for one was all I needed. My eyes suddenly opened as I grabbed at the desired ribbon. It was tough, but I finally found him out of all the other Soul Reapers. "Let's go, Bobo!"

"Aye, aye, ma'am~!" she sang while playfully saluting to me. She flew after me, and we both rushed ourselves in the short route I picked up once finding his Ribbon.

Much time had passed as we searched for the battle, its intensity increasing with the time that went by. The sun was already setting with its orange hue shining beautifully in the sky above the Soul Society. I was feeling a bit tired, but that wouldn't stop me from finding Ichigo. My memory might have been disappearing with each passing second, but I still fought for it to stay with me, because I couldn't afford to let it go just like that. I might not have known the outcome of Ichigo's fight with Renji, but the feeling in my chest was all I had, and it told me that I had to be quick and –.

"Hey, isn't that Ganju?" Bobo asked while pointing ahead at the younger Shiba. Okay, why is it that she noticed people approaching our views before I did? "Who's that he's carrying? And who is that other boy carrying Ichigo's sword? Speaking of which, where is Strawberry?" She turned to me as a reply never left my lips. Usually, I did have an answer for most of her questions, most of them being silly or crazy. But this time, nothing would be funny. She looked at me with worried and scared eyes as I stared in fright at what was before my own eyes.

Both of my hands covered my mouth as it dared to let out a scream of agony and sorrow. The fear could even be seen in my widened green eyes that shook with that same fright. Ganju was carrying a limp and bloodied body, and it was Ichigo's.

"Ichi. . .go," I quietly said, barely even reaching an audible level. Why did he look so beaten up? Didn't he win and not Renji? _'N__o, Ichigo did win, it's just that he's suffering from the wounds he received in battle,'_ I told myself. I wanted to say something – anything – but nothing came to mind or out of my suddenly dry mouth.

Ganju slowed to a stop in front of me, giving me a look that told me to stay calm and not to panic, because it was pretty clear that I wasn't all that happy to see one of my friends so beaten up. However, he was right. What's more important right now was closing up Ichigo's wounds. He looked so badly hurt . . . Hanataro, whom Ganju introduced Bobo and myself to shortly after we entered the sewers, lead us to a place he set up his things to help Ichigo.

When Ganju set Ichigo down on the makeshift bed, I examined the severity of his injuries. They seemed so deep that I was surprised that his arms didn't get cut off. Just the mere sight of both injuries on his torso and his head nearly made tears drip down from my eyes. I couldn't let them, though, because I promised him that I wouldn't shed another tear if he was to get hurt like that again. But it's just that . . . it's just the sound of his ragged breathing and the horrific appearance of his bloodied body made me want to . . .

"Don't feel sad, Miss Alex. I believe we still have a chance to heal him," I heard Hanataro say to me. "Just give me one night to do it."

". . . Hanataro," I almost gave a quiet chuckle from his frightened jump. "Sorry; I didn't mean to scare you. I was just wondering if I could help you take care of Ichigo's wounds. I just feel that I have to do it."

His blue eyes looked over me and saw that I was serious about this. He nodded his head as his only answer, a small smile growing on his tanned skin.

I bowed my head in thanks and scooted closer to Ichigo. My hand managed to lay itself on his hot, sweating forehead and tried to calm him down by soothing it with my thumb. The ends of my lips gently tugged upwards into a relieved smile when I saw that it actually had some kind of effect on him. _'It's alright, Ichigo. We're gonna patch you up in no time__.'_

* * *

Hanataro and I were almost finished wrapping Ichigo's top half of his body in bandages when he woke up from how tight we made it. The minute I heard him wake up, I whipped my head and faced him with pure relief pouring out of my smile. I had to force myself not to hug him, since that would of course end up hurting him . . . and reopening up his wounds . . . and a lot of other things that I will not mention at the moment. "Ichigo, you're finally awake!"

"A-Alex . . . Hanataro . . . Where am I?" he asked in a strained voice. I guess he still needed more rest and a little more healing.

"We're back underground where it's safe," Hanataro answered. "Try not to move so much or you'll open up your wounds."

"Wounds . . .? That's right . . . I fought Renji . . ." Ichigo quickly sat up, nearly scaring the mess out of me. Hanataro tried to tell him to lie back down, but he didn't listen. "Thanks Hanataro; you too, Alex. But . . . I have to get going."

I wanted to protest against his decision, but I wouldn't waste my breath. It's mostly because of the weirdest thing that just happened to me, which was that I suddenly remembered this episode again, along with the previous ones dealing with Ichigo's battle with Renji, and the memories Renji had of Rukia and how they met and grew up together. _'What the hell? How is that even . . . possible?'_ I asked myself. Apparently, I blanked out long enough for Ganju to stop Ichigo with a punch of his huge fist, which of course made me sigh. "Honestly, Ganju, you're going to regret doing that to him."

"What? Hanataro wanted him to stop, so I stopped him. It's not like I killed him or anything," Ganju said, crossing his bulky arms over his chest. "Anyways, instead of complaining about it, just finish healing him before he wakes up and tries to leave again."

"But you opened up some of his wounds, Ganju!" Hanataro whined. "And with that punch, that's another thing I have to heal."

I got up and walked over to him, patting him on the back. "That's alright, Hanataro; I'll take care of the rest. You go on a take a break, and we'll switch out we need to, okay?"

He smiled brightly, grateful that I was so kind to offer to so much to him. "Really? Oh, thank you very much, Miss Alex. Just say the word, and I'll be ready to go!"

Ganju groaned irritably at how jolly he easily became. "Would _someone_ hurry up and fix up Dandelion so we can get the hell out of these smelly sewers?!"

I socked him upside the head, earning an apology from him in the process. "Don't rush me, Pig Straddler! I don't see you doing anything." I then dragged Ichigo's body back to the makeshift bed (seriously, he was friggin' heavy with all that muscle!) and tried to fix some of the bandages that were already on him. Out of the corner of my eye, something white had caught my attention. When I looked closely at it, I recognized it to be Ichigo's Hollow mask. _'Oh yeah, that's what absorbed most of the blow on his left shoulder. I still wondered how it even came out from his inner world . . .'_

No matter. The task at hand now was to close Ichigo's wounds. My hands hovered close to Ichigo's chest and were soon engulfed in the Kido's green light. As the healing progressed, my locket started to glow its distinctive blue light as well. It influenced or passed on its light to my Kido and changed it entirely. It didn't even feel as though I was using Kido anymore, but it felt as if it were my own power being used.

The light brightened even more and shrunk in size until stopping to point where it was an outline over my hands. It then transformed into black laced, finger-less gloves that reached just below my elbows with a loosely tied bow on each end. Each tip of my finger and thumb was wrapped in white bandages. _'What the hell? Is this supposed to be a new weapon or something?'_

"_**Correct," **_I heard a woman's voice say in my head. I nearly jumped but then realized it was only myZanpakuto, Shi e no Setsuka. _**"It's actually a gift from me, but it seems that the necklace Ichigo gave you went ahead and somehow brought it to you from your inner world. I have to say: that locket of yours is pretty scary," **_Shi e no Setsuka said, chuckling a little at the last part.

'_If these are from you, could you tell me what they are?' _I asked, unsure of what they could possible do. I didn't see the strange looks I was getting from Ganju, Hanataro, and Bobo at the time, since I was too busy conversing with my Zanpakuto.

******_"__Nokutan Tebukuro or 'Nocturne Gloves'. They are predominantly used for defense and healing techniques. The healing is actually quite easy to do. All you have to do is think about it, and the power will be available for you to use. As for defense, you are given two options, each one being your right and left arm,"_ **she explained to me, making sure that I was listening to her and not zoning out. I actually did pay attention, because I _was _going to need to know this to properly use it.

_'Really? So, I _have _to remember which arm does which in order for it to work?' _I asked.

_**"Yes," **_she answered. _**"Your right arm has the ability to deflect any given attack and return it to the opponent with a greater impact. Your left can absorb the attack and allow you to use it to your bidding. Unfortunately, it won't have as much power, and you won't be able to add in your own energy with it. Actually, a small portion of the attack's intensity is drained before its used again. But,"**_she closed her eyes as she paused, _**"that flaw can be subdued with a bright mind as yours, Alexandria." **_

_'A bright mind as mine?' _I repeated to myself, not realizing that Shi e no Setsuka had already retired back to my inner world. _'Well, at least I have a new power to use.' _

I closed my hands into tight fits, staring down at the Nokutan Tebukuro. The Curious Trio comically rose beside me, getting a good a look at my new gloves. "What are they?" the big lump head, Ganju, asked.

My hands dropped in my lap as I turned to him with a pretend pissed off look, making him scurry back a little. Honestly, I really didn't feel like telling anyone about my new gloves and their abilities. All that mattered was that I could heal Ichigo, and maybe even everyone else, faster than with my Kido alone. I sighed, getting back to Ichigo's injuries and letting Nokutan Tebukuro do its job. It took almost more than half of my energy to completely close his wounds, which came up to taking nearly all night to finish. Man, I was so exhausted! I guess that's what happens when I push myself too hard when using a new power. _'Maybe a little nap wouldn't hurt any –.'_ I never finished the sentence in my head, for I collapsed onto Ichigo's chest, immediately falling asleep before Hanataro or Ganju could stop me. It may sound strange, but Ichigo's chest is actually quite comfortable to sleep on. I hope Shi e no Setsuka didn't hear me say that.

Before I fell asleep, though, I noticed that there was something different about Bobo. Was it her clothes or her hair? _'. . . Forget it. I'm too tired and lazy to figure it out right now.'_

* * *

_**Hm . . . I wonder how Alex's 'Nocturne Gloves' will work out for her in the long run. Oh well. We'll all just have to find out by reading the upcoming chapters. Plus, since I'm on Winter Break, I get to update some more chapters this week and next (once again, depending on how well written they are). **_

_**Ciao!**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**I'm glad to see that many of you are favoring the changes I made due to my most criticizing reviewers. Those who did review with harsh criticism don't need to feel bad about it, because it's exactly what I'm looking for in order to become a better writer. So, I am only asking that I could see reviews with more criticism if there is anything I should fix or whatnot. Once again, I am not forcing you to do so. If you don't want to, then continue reviewing the way you've always been. **_

_**Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Recap: **After Ichigo's battle with Renji being victorious, he comes out with severe wounds needing medical attention. Alex and Botania reunite with their friends, along with meeting Hanataro, and are faced with new powers and appearances. How will everyone react to these new changes, especially Alex? And what will Ichigo do when he wakes up to find Alex sound asleep on his bare, bandaged chest?

* * *

**Chapter 24**

_Alex's P.O.V._

"**What the hell are you doing on my chest**?!" Ichigo yelled in my ear, waking me up in the worst way possible.

My eyes slowly open to see a red faced Strawberry, who was by the way confused, pissed off, and somewhat embarrassed of the situation he was currently in. I yawned while ignoring his ranting and sat up to face him properly. "Quit yelling in my ear, idiot. Why are you worrying about something that didn't . . ." I trailed off as an idea popped in my head. "Alright, alright, so what if I did? You're a heavy sleeper, I saw it as an opportunity, so I went ahead after Ganju and Hanataro fell asleep." It took nearly all of my replenished strength no to roll on the ground and laugh my butt off from the blushing and shocked faces off the three boys. Oh yeah, I would surely have fun messing with their heads.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, how come I didn't hear anything happening?" Ganju shouted. "Damn, I'm glad it was only Ichigo, or I would've been a goner!"

'_Don't worry. I wasn't ever thinking about going after you,' _I shot a comical stare at the self-proclaimed asshole.

"Oh my . . ." was all Hanataro said as he stood there with a shocked look on his innocent looking face. Well, that's what most people would think him to be. He had some pretty strange dreams that aren't so sweet and clean.

Ichigo could only gape at my blank stare with his eyebrow furiously twitching. His face was as red as his hair, and the size of his eyes matched that of a couple of dinner plates. "Y-Y-You . . . you're bluffing! I know you didn't really do anything!" He jutted a finger near my face, bearing a comical yet still blushing expression.

I gave a devilish grin so wide that Gin would think I actually was a fan. "Oh, really? Then how do you explain your still bare chest? Even with the bandages on there, that doesn't prove that the only I did was heal it, now does it?"

Ichigo stepped back with his arm trying to block his view from me as if I shone a dangerously bright light in his eyes. "You sick, little . . ."

"Oh, stop playing around, Alex!" a female voice interjected. It sounded strangely familiar, but the tone was too grown up to be her. Yet, how did she know my name?

We all turned our heads around to see a teenage girl with long, sandy haired ponytails reaching to her waist. A green bunny hat rested on her head. Her white skinned body had on a gray sleeved cocktail dress, black leggings underneath, and matching gray flats, the shoes and dress bearing sparkles and glitter. She was almost my height, maybe an inch or two shorter. _'Okay, the sparkles are oddly familiar . . . Wait a second. Didn't Bobo say something about switching back to her true form if things were to get rough . . .?' _I took one last glance at the girl and saw that she was waving a star tipped staff at me like an idiot as she smiled. It reminded me of Rukia doing the same thing to Ichigo when he and his family were visiting Masaki's grave. I sweat dropped and slouched my shoulders forward. I knew my face probably made a 'WTF' look by now. "Alright, what the hell did you seriously do _this _time?"

"Yay, you remembered!" Bobo shouted while flying over to me with her arms opened wide, bringing me into one of her Death Hugs. At least her chest was less developed than mine, or else I would've been suffocated by her bosoms. "It took you long enough! Hey, Strawberry, do you recognize me, too?"

Ichigo blinked at her, thinking that she must be a loon. But that was put aside after he heard his little 'nickname'. "What the hell did you just call me?! I am not a damn strawberry!"

"Yes you are~!" she sang while poking his nose. "Alex said –."

"Ichigo, this is Bobo, but she's near the same age as us now," I quickly cut her off by slapping my hand over her pie hole. "Remember? She told us that she wasn't in her true form when we were in the Reishukaku."

Ichigo held his chin in his hand while the elbow was held by the other. He thought over it and tried using the hints given as a way to jog his memory. Finally, "Are you sure we're talking about the same annoying brat that can fly?" Bobo smiled with a tick mark on her temple before whacking him on the head with her staff. "Ow! Excuse me for being honest! OW!"

"Why don't you just stop talking for a while before your head injury opens up again, hm?" Bobo suggested. More like demanded.

"Remind me not to get on her bad side," Ganju whispered to Hanataro, who nodded and would gladly do the same.

By then, Ichigo hadn't been heeding Bobo's advice and ended up on the floor with smoke flowing out of his head, and a few wounds opened up again. I dropped my head in annoyance, already knowing who would have to fix up the idiot. "Wait, Hanataro, isn't it your turn? We said we would switch when the other was tired, so," I held my hand out toward Ichigo with a smile, "you're up."

"Oh, great," Hanataro sighed out as he dragged his feet toward the unconscious Soul Reaper. I just wished that Ichigo would quit being such a hard-headed dumbass and listen the first time someone told him to do something. If he kept that up, we'd have been there all day and night.

After Ichigo was healed, _again_, we set course for the Repentance Cell that was now within our reach. However, huge, narrow flights of stairs were the only thing keeping us from achieving that goal. Screw that! "You know what?" I spoke up and had their eyes on me. "Why don't you three go on ahead while Bobo and I inform the rest where Rukia is being held?"

Ichigo comically bored his eyes into my soul, no pun intended, and walked up to my face. ". . . You are by far the laziest person I've ever met, even lazier than Fat Floyd over here," he pointed his finger to a now pissed off Ganju.

By then, his own wounds from fighting Yumichika were healed thanks to Hanataro. He probably preoccupied himself with them while I worked on Ichigo and fell asleep. But back to important matters.

"Lazy? Who are you calling lazy?! That was what _you _were trying to do when we were still healing your ass! I'm doing you a favor, idiot! How dare you call me lazy," I argued with clenched fists.

"Tch, when did you all of a sudden start to want to do favors for me? You must still be asleep," he flicked my forehead, leaving a mark.

I wanted to wring this fool's neck so bad that my knuckles turned white from how tight my fists were. He was obviously asking for a beating if he's actually daring himself to flick me on the head! "Look, smartass, I suggest you drop it and just say, 'Thank you', so I can be on my merry way."

He snorted and turned around with his arms crossed. "How can I when I can't even trust you while I'm asleep?"

"Oh, my gosh!" I threw my hands up in the air. "Are you _seriously _still on that?! I was just messing with your brains, alright? Let it go, you big wuss!" He continued to ignore me as a wife would to her husband. "You are such a child! I hope your ass gets stopped and kicked by another Soul Reaper on your way there!" I yelled at him before spinning on my heel and stomping away in the opposite direction to begin my search for the others. I glanced over my shoulder to see Bobo contemplating as to whether or not she should try and resolve the tension between. She might as well just give up, because that fruit head would just kept ignoring me like the baby is he! "Botania, let's go!"

"A-Aye!" she quickly flew over to me and started back on foot as we left Ganju, Hanataro, and _him_. If wants to play the silent treatment card, he could be my guest, because I'm placing it down as well!

* * *

"Hey, you're not really wishing for Ichigo to get hurt, are you?" Bobo asked, worried that I would actually use my last wish for something as harsh as that.

I shook my head, already cooled down from the little argument earlier. "No, Bobo. I'm not that stupid to let my anger get the best of me. I'm just mad that he can't take a little joke," I puffed my cheeks out while tightening the grip on my arms as they were crossed over my chest. "He needs to loosen up and get that huge pole out of his ass so he can stop being so uptight."

Bobo sighed while looking up ahead and around to make sure we weren't being followed. "I guess, but you didn't have to –."

"Bobo," I stopped mid-step to shout at the space in front of me, "_**Please**_, just drop it, okay?!"

I saw her flinch back from how high I raised my voice at her. Her gray eyes were starting to water, and I immediately felt bad for doing that to her. Sure, I would yell at her all the time for being silly and destructive, but the tone I used on her just now . . . "No, I didn't . . . I didn't mean to –."

"Maybe you need some time to be alone to fully cool off, Alex," she quietly said as she hurried and flew away from where I stood. I tried to stop her, but she was long gone by now.

My head hung low as I smacked a hand to my face. "Dammit, Alex, now look what you did!" I harshly scolded myself. "Now, I have no idea where Bobo is or where she's heading off to. She could get herself caught, and it'll be all my fault." I kicked at the ground while walking again. I hugged my arms close as I tried to sense anyone of the others' spiritual pressure. Without any luck for twenty minutes, I plopped down on the floor and leaned against a wall with my knees propped up. They were brought close to my chest as I rested my chin on them. There were a few unseated officers that passed by me. They slowed down while approaching me to see if I was alright, but I shook my head to show that I was fine, obviously lying to both them and myself. Either way, they nodded and continued the search for the Ryoka. I still couldn't believe that they bought my act and believed that I was one of them. Wouldn't the appearance of my uniform throw them off? Well, I guess with the Soul Reapers that have modified their robes to their liking, it didn't surprise them as much.

I didn't realize it, but I somehow fell asleep and was awakened by a sharp rise in spiritual pressure. I could sense it coming from the stairs leading to the Repentance Cell. How could someone's spiritual pressure be that powerful? "Unless . . ." I sharp gasp came out as I bolted up from where I sat and dashed toward the intense presence of Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. I felt completely horrible for wanting Ichigo to encounter someone on their way up. I knew that it was inevitable, but saying it just jinxed them even more! "Damn it all!" I cried out while picking up speed. If I wanted to help Ichigo, I had to hurry. There was no other option.

Passing through was another Soul Reaper as he suddenly stopped, forcing me to halt before him. I recognized him to be Shuhei. _'I _**really** _don't have time for this bull right now!' _I calmed myself down, just enough to speak to him without seeming to be in a rush. "Lieutenant Hisagi, what are you doing here?" I looked down at his waist only to find his Zanpakuto. My eyes slightly widened as something flashed in my mind. It was a memory of the Head Captain allowing all Captains and Lieutenants the use of their weapons. _'That must have gone out while we were asleep and after Ichigo defeated Renji.' _I didn't hear him respond the first time and tried again. "Sir, why are you here?"

Shuhei kept his attention ahead of him, never landing his eyes on me. "I was just about to ask you the same thing, Amane . . ." His voice trailed off, making me feel a bit nervous.

"S-Sir, is something the matter?" Damn! My voice shook, _and _I stuttered! I wasn't supposed to sound scared, because that would mean that I was hiding something.

"Yes, everything is fine." Shuhei looked ahead of himself before walking off to a place I didn't think I've been to yet. "Walk with me, Amane," he said in a cool tone. Honestly, now was not the time for the fangirl inside of me to go loco, dammit! I had to control myself before things became worse.

"Yes, sir," I said while hurrying after him. Something told me that things were about to get ugly soon. And lucky for me, I was to be in the middle of it. _'But if Shuhei is here and not at the meeting, which I know he's supposed to be at, did Momo already find _'his' _dead body and was locked up for raising her weapon against her own comrades?' _

"You know, since the last time we bumped into each other, I'll admit that I was unsure of your position in Captain Hitsuguaya's squad, so I had done a little research to prove my suspicions wrong, if that was okay with you."

I felt myself swallowing a hard lump down my throat as I shook my head. "You had your reasons, sir. I don't have as much authority as you do to say otherwise, anyway." The more we walked, the farther the distance was between Ichigo and me. I was so close yet so far. What was Shuhei planning to do with me? Hell, what was he planning at all?

"Still," Shuhei argued monotonously, "I believe that you have some room to have a say when it involves your files, personal ones as well." He stopped in front of an empty area with grass growing in two sections and a large walking space separating them. "Anyway, I went to look for more information about you, and for some reason couldn't find anything." I saw his hand slowly reach up to rest itself on the hilt of his Zanpakuto. My heart started to race faster than a dashing cheetah, and the palms of my hands were sweating by the bucket loads.

"T-That's strange . . . I wonder how that could be possible? Do you think they might have misplaced them, or that someone must've stolen them?" I stuttered for a second time. This was ridiculous and totally unfair! I couldn't help but to feel uncomfortable around cute guys, dang nabbit! Even Toshiro's short self would've made me blush like an idiot!

"_**Oh, so it's not only Ichigo that makes you feel that way? How strange . . ." **_

'_Dammit, Shi e no Setsuka, now is not the friggin' time for you to be teasing me! I've got bigger problems!' _I shouted in my head. I knew that she knew I was blushing madly on the inside, but I didn't care! I had to focus on more important matters!

"That could be the case . . ." Shuhei spun on his heel and walked toward me, stopping only a few mere inches away from my face. My face felt hot as the heat rose to my cheeks. It's not that I found his exposed, toned muscles appealing. Okay, maybe a little bit . . . But it's just that I didn't do well with an attractive guy so close to me. He reached up to take hold of my robes as if he were planning to strip them off of me. _'Whoa, slow down there, Sparky! I know fully well that Shuhei knows better than this! He isn't the type of man to be doing this!'_ I yelled in my head as it pounded from my rapid heartbeat.

"_**You better hope that Ichigo doesn't know about this,"**_Shi e no Setsuka said, making a tick mark throb on my temple.

'_Woman!'_

"U-Um, sir, what are you doing? P-Please, let go of me," I stammered out quietly. "This kind of behavior isn't like you, Lieutenant Hisagi."

"And how would you know? Maybe it isn't; maybe it is." Is it bad if I hoped for the latter? "But either way, it's impossible for you to know," he pulled back the part of the robe he had, revealing nothing to be on the inside, "Since you are not of the 13 Court Guard Squads, Ryoka."

* * *

"What?" I weakly said, trying to understand how he could tell by just looking under my clothes. _'Wait, I just remembered something! The squad's insignia: it isn't there! Every Soul Reaper that is a part of any squad has one on the inside of their uniform. That's why he did that!' _I looked to the side with a blush proudly shown on my face, because when Shuhei pulled back that piece of the robe, my . . . chest kind of showed a little. Now, even though they weren't as big as Orihime's or Rangiku Matsumoto's for that matter, they were still at pretty decent size, unlike Rukia's petite chest.

"Hm," he carefully released my robes and pulled back to stand up straight. "I'm assuming that your silence means that you've given up with your little act. From the moment I sensed your spiritual pressure, I knew that it felt unfamiliar and unlike any other Soul Reaper here."

The blush faded from my cheeks as I whipped my head to face him again. "If that's so, then why didn't you say anything before? Why didn't you fight me when you had the chance?"

"Simple: I wanted to see a glimpse of your power," he answered with his eyes closed.

I raised an eyebrow, confused as to what he meant. That's when I remembered the short fight I had against the group of Soul Reapers yesterday._ 'So, he was watching me fight the entire time? And did he just use his own comrades to do it for him?'_ "You know, that's pretty low, even for you, Shuhei. I didn't think using other squad members was your style," I spat at him, grabbing the hilt of my Zanpakuto.

"Don't make me laugh," he flatly retorted. "I already had a few of squad 4 members with me in case you were to inflict serious damage. The men were taken care of. Although, I must say," Shuhei jumped back a few feet as he took out his sword, "Your little lullaby did sound a bit frightening when you explained it. But if you are going to attempt to use it against me, just know that I won't allow it to happen." He went into a stance as he prepared to battle against me. "If it makes you feel better, I won't go easy on you," he added before clashing his blade against mine as I hurried to unsheathe it and block the attack.

My lips were about to form a pursed frown, but a smirk came out in its place instead. "Finally, I get to fight someone who will actually think differently of a woman, unlike stereotypical men!" I pushed him back and dodged another quick swing of his sword, diving and pushing my hand off the ground to propel myself away and land a few yards off. I held my Zanpakuto with both hands and bore my green eyes into Shuhei as he did the same with his dark gray eyes. He then closed them and placed his sword back in its sheath. I stared dumbly at him, wondering why he put his Zanpakuto away so early in the battle. But I knew not to let myself think that it was over. "What are you planning now, Shuhei?"

He vanished before my eyes, causing me to turn around multiple times just to find out where he went. "Running away already?"

"Again," he whispered in my ear from behind, "Don't make me laugh." Before I could react, he snaked his arm around my mid-section with a tight hold and took my away Shi e no Setsuka. I tried to break free but failed as he disappeared again, only this time with my Zanpakuto.

"Hey, give her back, you jackass!" I comically yelled while shaking my fist. "It isn't right to steal someone's stuff, you know!"

He reappeared a good distance away from me. "Be quiet and stop whining like a child. Apparently, you didn't hear me before. I said that I wouldn't allow you to use your lullaby or any other technique you have, so it's obvious that I would strip you of your Zanpakuto in order to prevent you from using them."

I stopped my little tantrum and stared at him with a dumb look on my face. _'Oh . . . Well, aren't I smart.' _"If I can't use my Zanpakuto, then how do you expect this be to a fair fight?" I shouted. He nodded his head down to his side, indicating that he, too, put his sword away. "Well damn. You must have already thought this through, huh?" I mocked Shuhei and crossed my arms over my chest. "So, how do you plan on fighting me, anyway?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

A comical, blank stare could be seen on my face. Riddles aren't exactly what I had in mind at the moment. "I hate to disappoint you, but I have to leave now. There's someplace I have to be." I started on my way toward the Repentance Cell and realized that my back felt lighter than usual. _'Oh yeah, I forgot that he hid Shi e no Setsuka.' _"Hey, you mind telling me where my Zanpakuto – holy crap!"

"Bakudo No. 62: Hyapporankan!" Shuhei held a white glowing rod in his hand before throwing and aiming it at me. As it was gaining speed, it multiplied into a hundred more. Knowing that I couldn't use Shunpo yet, I was stuck with the old running around like a headless chicken tactic. Hey, you try dodging a hundred flipping rods set to immobilize you! Okay, now my theory of Shuhei actually being _that _type of guy was starting to bother me.

Some of the rods missed me and hit the walls and ground, but there were many more coming. I held my hands up as an attempt to block the rods, which I knew wouldn't do any good, and noticed the black laced gloves that still covered my hands and forearms. _'Aha! Now I just have to quickly figure out which one does what . . . Oh, the right arm! Well, here's goes nothing.' _ I didn't have to say any words or incantations. The only thing required was the thought of using the power my right arm held. I closed my eyes to focus on tapping into its power and stretched it out in front of me, forming a circle in the air that then took the form of a whole note. The note grew to a much larger size just as the Hyapporankan rods reached me. As predicted, it bounced them all back and targeted a surprised Shuhei with almost more than half of the original power added to them. But with his skills as a high ranked Soul Reaper, he didn't have much trouble dodging them, all except one that scrapped his side.

Shuhei winced at the pain before stopping himself with his left hand. He stood up without feeling the cut anymore but still winced every now and then, facing me with hard dark eyes. "That's something new . . . I guess your lullabies aren't the only thing I have to worry about."

Once hearing that, my eyes opened to find a grazed area on his side. The white rods were sticking out all over the place after missing Shuhei. I lowered my arm, and the whole note faded away. "Ha! In your face," I yelled victoriously while jutting a finger out at him. _'Damn, that was awesome! I wonder how the other arm will work,' _I thought to myself.

"Don't get so cocky, Ryoka. There are many other spells to use against you," he reminded me, ending my celebration short. With one hand, he concentrates an orb of energy before releasing it. "Hado No. 31: Shakkaho!" He blasted the orb, aiming it directly at me.

This was my chance to test out my left arm. I knew that I could only send back only half of its power, but it was only a test drive. As it came closer, my arm went up while I closed my eyes once more to concentrate. My fingers then spread out and bent forward as if I were about to grab something. The Shakkaho flew straight in my palm and was engulfed inside, making my glove glow its respective red color. My eyes shot open as my free hand held the other to keep it straight while I fired back the Kido. The shocked look on Shuhei's face made a smirk tug at my lips. In the nick of time, he used Shunpo to dodge it, just like the Hyapporankan. When he reappeared, I saw that his left shoulder had a burn mark. I smirked, "Trust me, I'm not getting cocky. You're just underestimating my abilities!"

Seeing that he had enough of my surprise attacks, he flash stepped near me to deliver a kick to the stomach, which I blocked using my right arm. I didn't use its power, though, because I wasn't sure whether or not there was a limit to the amount of times I could use it. Plus, it would have been a waste.

The force of his kick pushed away from him, and my back almost collided with a wall. But Shuhei wasn't finished yet. He sent a few punches and kicks my way again. I was left with no other choice but to show him just how much of a punch I packed. I jumped up to dodge a swung foot and drop kicked his gut. He cough out a clear substance but stood strong. While my feet were still in his torso, he grabbed my ankles and swung me over his head, sending me into a wall. I won't lie; that last attack did a number on my spine. I fell limp to the ground but forced myself up again. My hands formed into balled fists and went up in a fighting stance, almost like a boxer. And no, I wasn't familiar with boxing or the stances and such that went with it. I just knew that it was a common stance for them to use.

Shuhei spit something to the side before wiping his mouth. "I'll admit that you're pretty good, at both deflecting my attacks and dodging them, but I'm sure that won't last for long." He brought his fists up as well and prepared to come at me. "Get ready, Ryoka," he said before rushing toward me.

"Quit calling me 'Ryoka'," I shouted and ran in his direction. "My name is Alex Rosewood, got it?"

He smirked, "Alright, Alex. I guess it would be fair to know the name of the one I will defeat and take in as a prisoner."

We both threw a fist at the same time as they hit the other. It didn't hurt as much as I expected and sent a punch to his face before he could react. He saw through this but took the hit like a man, giving me a hard sock in the stomach. My body wanted to cough out in pain, but I held it in and clenched my teeth. After that, fists and kick went flying, getting both of us everywhere above the waist. One attack forced us back a few yards. At that time, we had a chance to catch our breath. Our panting was loud enough for the other to hear. A few drops of sweat rolled down our heads. The robes on us were a little disheveled from all the hits we took. There were bruises and possible fractured bones that made it harder to stand. I was surprised to see that none of our blood was shed yet. I tried to stand straight but became a little tired soon after. "Not bad, Shuhei – not bad at all," I said between breaths. "You've proven yourself as a worthy opponent when it comes to physical strength. I can tell why you're a lieutenant."

"You're not so bad yourself, Alex. A Ryoka with as much power as you explains why we have so many casualties. I'm guessing the others are the same, too. It's no wonder the Head Captain had to send out wartime orders." I could tell he was getting a little beat as well.

"Well, we wouldn't be here right now causing all of this chaos unless we were strong enough to do it. Besides, what good would it do if we came here with little strength and power? That would be suicide." The spike of spiritual pressure was still there, but it felt like Ichigo was already fighting it. A memory flashed again, and I saw both Ichigo and Kenpachi charging toward the other with a scary outline of their powers trailing behind them. Their swords were about to clash, but the scene faded before I could see it. I was brought back out of my thoughts with a quiet gasp coming out. Shuhei raised a brow at my suddenness and planned on asking me what that was all about when I whipped my head in the direction of the gruesome fight. I felt my hands clenched into tighter fists, nearly turning my knuckles white and forcing blood to drip out from how deep my nails dug in their palms. "Shuhei . . ."

"Hm?" he answered, raising his brow a little higher now.

"I'm going to make a deal with you," I announced while still facing the same way. "If I can bring you down to your knees with this next punch, you have to tell me where you hid our Zanpakuto."

He gained back enough strength to stand up straight, as did I. I could tell he was thinking it over, probably wondering if a Ryoka like me could actually pull it off. He brought his eyes up to and said, "And if you can't?"

Now, it was my turn to close my eyes and think it through. What did I have to offer in order to finish this battle quickly so that I may hurry and get to Ichigo? " . . . If I can't, then I will turn myself in without struggle."

Shuhei's stare widened slightly, a bit thrown off to see that I would actually put my freedom on the line just to end this battle. If only he knew of the situation I was in, he would understand how important this bet was to me. "You've got yourself a deal," he finally decided with a scowl. It reminded of Ichigo's back before Rukia was taken in.

I turned and faced him with my locket glowing my own blue color and not Ichigo's. The Nokutan Tebukuro responded by shining a silhouette of the same hue. My irises reacted the same way. This must have been what resolve felt and looked like. Even with the hard stare I gave him, my eyes still softened a little as I warned Shuhei. "I'm apologizing in advance, because what you're about to feel will be a whole new kind of pain you've never experienced before." Without hearing his response, my legs carried me to him with lightning speed, almost going into a Flash Step, as I delivered a near fatal blow to his mid-section. I forced my fist in so deep that I felt something crack, and Shuhei coughed up blood. He was sent flying straight into another wall behind him. As his body made impact, the concrete surrounding him gave in from the thousands of crevices that soon appeared, crumpling into rubble and letting Shuhei rest in it. I slowly made my way over to him as he lifted his head, only to witness a frightening silhouette. I took notice of this and looked over my shoulder, coming face to face with a blown up figure of my hollow mask in the form of spiritual pressure. Turning back around, "A deal is a deal. Now, where is my Zanpakuto?" My robes and hair danced with amount of energy spewing out of me.

Keeping a calm yet beaten composure, Shuhei kept his word as he was now defeated. "Up ahead, you'll find another area but with a few trees and garden. Resting against one of the trees are our Zanpakuto."

The silhouette dispersed into thin air, and everything else returned to its natural form again. "Thank you," I said while turning around and being on my way. I halted for a second with something else to say. "Again, I'm sorry about that, but I just don't have time for any more distractions right now." Shuhei put his head back down on the rubble as I ran to where he said our swords were located.

A little over five minutes passed when I finally made it. It's just as he said. They were leaning against a tree side by side. I grabbed Shi e no Setsuka, along with his own, and ran back to where I left him. He heard my approaching footsteps and carefully raised his head, obviously not expecting to see me again. I sighed as I went on both knees before setting his Zanpakuto beside him. "We may be enemies, but that doesn't mean we can't be nice or kind to the other," I said and hurried off to the Repentance Cell, but that was before he stopped me mid-step.

"W . . . Wait," Shuhei had a little difficulty sitting up but nonetheless managed, "There's something I must ask you, Alex. Why is it that you and the other Ryoka are doing all of this? What could possibly be so important that you must fight against lieutenants and captains?"

I didn't turn around, nor did I look over my shoulder. I stayed the way I was and slowly walked away. "We're doing this to save our friend's life, just as she saved all of ours'."

* * *

"Damn these – bloody stairs!" I panted out while trying to catch my breath. "Why the hell – do these people even – need so many – stairs, anyway?" After my lungs were somewhat refreshed from the small break, I started toward the path ahead. But that was until I sensed a disappearance of someone's spiritual pressure. "No way . . . He can't die; he's Chad!" I shook my head to get rid of the thought of him actually wounding up dead. He must have went up against Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, and was unfortunately beaten. But it was kind of expected since he did face a Captain, and they are no joke. I bowed my head in respects of Chad's efforts in battle. I also tried to pick up any traces of his remaining spiritual pressure. A minute later, his presence was found again, which brought relief to my worry.

"I figured he wouldn't let himself go down that easily," I said while smiling. "You can't kill Chad, no matter how strong you are . . . Crap! I almost forgot why I'm here!" I broke out into a run and headed down the shadowed path before me, calling out his name as I went in further through another maze of buildings. "Ichigo! Ichigo, where are you?" I think he might have heard me, even if he was fighting Kenpachi –.

Both hands were smacked over my mouth to keep quiet. It completely slipped my mind that the lunatic Captain always goes after the strongest. And if Ichigo went down, which I knew wouldn't happen, I would be next considering that I fell in second as the strongest in our group.

"Alex? What the hell are you doing here?! You need to run, now!" Ichigo yelled from his place, ignoring the fact that Kenpachi could use that as a way to find him.

I wanted to call back to him so badly and apologize for how stupid I was acting before, but I couldn't for his sake. I would say for my own as well, but knowing that my safety was ensured was a part of Ichigo's sake. I sensed Kenpachi's spiritual pressure intensify and nearly force me down on my knees. He must have sensed my presence and saw that I, too, was strong. Thankfully, my locket glowed and helped me stay up only with a slightly bent forward posture. _'Thank you, Ichigo, but you can't keep helping and protecting me without expecting me to return the favor.' _The air pressure went back to normal, for now. My feet acted on their own and dashed forward, hoping to reach Ichigo in time.

With the amount of ways I could possibly take, though, I knew that finding him wasn't the only problem. First off, there was the issue of actually finding my own way around this damned maze. It's as if I were a mouse trying to find the cheese. Calling out to him would be easier, but that was once again opted out since that would put his life in more danger. His nerves felt a little shaky and out of control. It's most likely because of his Zangetsu not being able to cut Kenpachi. Honestly, he needed one of my motivational talks and beatings just to get his head back in the game. Worrying about something such as that was out of the question. Ichigo can beat Zaraki; he just needs a little –.

"Hm," a deep voice said a short distance in front of me. "And who might you be, girl?"

Okay, by then, I knew that I was basically screwed, because I just had to do what Ichigo did and make the same turn three times in a row and end up getting caught by the blood thirsty, fighting maniac himself. Being in his presence alone is making my knees buckle every now and then. Sweat dripped down from my face and clenched palms. My eyes dared to quiver, but I kept them steady and strong as they stared at the huge man before me.

He noticed how long I took to answer and repeated himself. "What are you, deaf? I just asked you a question. Who are you?"

I felt Ichigo nearby and hurried off in another direction. The minute I left was the minute he came out and clashed swords with Kenpachi. When he was pushed back, he glanced over his shoulder just when I did, and we both held that stare for a second. Before a thin, ragged blade went down on him, our eyes tore away from each other, and I was forced to get somewhere safe while he fought his battle. And you know what? I didn't feel so scared anymore, because once Ichigo and I shared that glance, we were both apologizing about what happened earlier. It brought us to our senses, and I realized that the only thing I could do to help was to believe in him and let him fight this on his own, for he knew that he could handle him.

With that in mind, I set a new goal to get as far away from them as possible. I know, it's basically contradicting with the previous goal I had before, but what could a girl with a determined and protective friend do?

Finally, I found a place where I would be safe from the death match going on. To be honest, I was still a little tired and worn out from my battle with Shuhei and how much energy I used in that one punch. So, I sat down in a corner and leaned against the wall, bringing my knees close to my chest. I laid my head down on them and relaxed a little. My body needed to rejuvenate, and what better way to do then to rest? I would use Nokutan Tebukuro, but that would also mean using up more of my energy, which kind of defeats the purpose. Besides, I didn't think it would work on myself but only on other people. Although, I was a little curious, so I'll have to try it out sometime later.

A short time went by, and soon enough, Ichigo's spiritual pressure was . . . declining. I gripped onto my Shihakusho tightly and forced the horrid thought out. _'Ichigo wasn't going to die, alright?'_ I kept repeating this in my head. It was needed, for it felt as though I would go berserk like with Shuhei and confront Kenpachi, which was automatically saying that I was ready to get myself killed in my condition. I couldn't do that, and I knew that Ichigo wouldn't allow me to do so either. It would mean risking my own life to protect his, and we all knew how he got when something like that happens.

"Ichigo . . . you're such a dumbass," a smile was forced on my features. "Wanna know why? Because you're about to make me break the promise I made to you." I leaned forward, sinking my head deeper in my lap.

It was then that I felt it: his spiritual pressure was rising back to where it was, probably even a little higher. That was it; I couldn't sit and wait any longer. Besides, I didn't want to miss a battle between Ichigo and Kenpachi. It was too epic! I used the wall around me to help myself and ran to where I located his presence. Unfortunately, the friggin maze of tall ass towers prevented me from getting anywhere near him.

I pouted and crossed my arms in annoyance. "I'm about done with the Seireitei's confusing as hell layout! I bet they get lost every time they want to use the bathroom or go to some store! Geez, how can they live like this for so long?" I sighed and decided to walk this time. I needed to save my energy for the worst situation, anyway, so I didn't want to use it up by running around in circles.

A sigh left me, breaking the silence. "I wonder if Bobo is still mad at me. I wouldn't blame her, though; I raised my voice at her without even thinking about it." My head lowered a little as my shoulders slouched a little. Another sigh left me, and it was safe to say that I was lost and far from the fight by now. How dead wrong I was.

A blast of spiritual pressure exploded near me as it went up to the sky above, separating a few clouds in the process. Both of my arms went up to shield my eyes from the massive force. It nearly blew me back against a wall or building. From the intensity and closeness, I knew that I ended up in the right place.

The building in front of me was just sliced horizontally by Kenpachi's frightening strength. The top portion of it slid off and broke into smaller pieces, falling everywhere around me. With my own physical strength, I destroyed any boulder of the sort that nearly landed on my body. But that soon drained my energy yet again, and I was forced to take cover. It was expected that I couldn't keep at it for long. My strength wasn't even at its full capacity, nor had it reached half by now.

That didn't matter now, because there was something else I needed to worry about, like the drastic increase of both Ichigo and Kenpachi's power. I couldn't, or maybe didn't, want to see their howling swords collide. I never knew that a fight such as this would be so frightening when witnessed this close up. Either way, the aftermath ended up to be the same: a blast shooting up in a pillar-like form with another force around its bottom, leveling and bringing many of the high buildings. I knew that the force was so powerful because my locket went crazy in response to Ichigo's spiritual pressure.

After things died down, I reopened my eyes to see nearly everything become a wreck. They continued to look around until falling upon Ichigo and Kenpachi, both of which that were still standing with their Zanpakuto deeply cut in the other's body. Ichigo had quietly said something to himself and collapsed, his own blood spewing out from the wound Kenpachi gave him.

Why was it that every time my memory was getting better, something terrible and devastating happened to Ichigo? My eyes had a dead look in them as they stared out at the motionless body of my friend. My body felt so heavy it was as if a thousand pounds of lead had dropped on top of it. I stayed like that for a long time, even after Yachiru thanked Ichigo for giving Kenpachi a great battle and took him away.

The feelings in my muscles finally came back. I used that as a chance to hurry to Ichigo as fast as I could, but it ended up to be a fast walk. When I reached him, I fell down on both knees, my heart sinking to such low depths. He looked so terrible like this, with so many cuts and gashes on his body. I was sitting down on the side where he was facing me, but his eyes were already closed as he was now unconscious. Not many words could explain how I felt at the time. Actually, there were lots of them, but not one alone could sum it up. Tears threatened to break the dam I placed inside. If that happened, then I would be breaking my promise. I had to keep my word, just as Ichigo would when he would rescue Rukia. But how could I keep myself from shedding a tear for the idiot if he continued to get himself hurt like this?

My hand reached to touch his head. It was still warm, which meant that he was alive. Even with all of those fatal injuries, he wouldn't allow himself to die so easily. It's just the sight of wounds that made me want to cry. My energy was almost gone, and I would also have to fall unconscious before it would be restored. If that's to happen, then I might as well do whatever I can to stop Ichigo from bleeding. I slowly and gently laid my hands on top of his side and began healing or closing as many wounds as possible. "It's alright, Ichigo. I won't ever allow you to die on my watch, under . . . stand?" _'Damn, I'm starting to lose consciousness. I can barely keep my eyes open. But that doesn't matter, because I'm going to save Ichigo so that he may . . . save Rukia!' _

"There you are, Alex. I thought I sensed familiar spiritual pressure," a voice I knew too well was heard from behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Yoruichi walk toward Ichigo and I. "I apologize for getting here so late. How are you holding up?"

"I'm . . . I'm just fine. It's only a few bruises and fractured bones, so – I'll be fine," I comically winced as a shot of pain was sent through my body. The glow of Nokutan Tebukuro was beginning to flicker and fade. I was almost reaching my limit. No, I had to stay awake. I would be fine if I just concentrated. But with my eyelids becoming so heavy, it was getting harder to do by the second.

A black paw rested on my arm, making me turn a little to see Yoruichi stare at me. "Alex, it's alright. You don't have to push yourself in order to save Ichigo. I won't let either one of you die. Now," she took a few steps back and sat down again, "go ahead and rest. You've done enough for one day."

She's right. Although, I thought that I could have done more than what I did. But hey, I shouldn't be complaining; I took down a lieutenant with my bare hands, literally! I weakly nodded at Yoruichi and took her advice, slowly resting my head on Ichigo's bloodied body. My eyes took their time to close, which allowed me to see my black furred feline about to transform into her true form. For once, I let the darkness I feared so much take me into its deep slumber, for there was music that came with.

"Thank you . . ." I whispered to both Yoruichi and Shi e no Setsuka.

* * *

_**You're gonna hate me for this, but I have to stop it right here. Hey, don't give me that face! At least this was a long chapter. But, I'll be sure to add more action next time if it wasn't enough. Either way, I hoped you enjoyed the fight!**_

_**Ciao!**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**From now on, I'm going to try something new and won't add author notes before each chapter. I might occasionally do one at the end, but it will depend on the situation and what I have to tell you. Furthermore, until it is said, the chapter will be predominantly in Alex's P.O.V.**_

_**I do not own anything or anyone from Bleach, only my OCs.**_

* * *

**Chapter 25**

_'Am I . . . dead?'_ I thought this to be possible when I couldn't open my eyes at first._ 'Oh, wait, I can still sense my friends' spiritual pressure. I'm not dead.'_ A mental sigh was heard in my head. But, if I wasn't dead, then what was going on? And, where was I?_ 'The last thing I saw before going unconscious was Yoruichi changing back into her original form . . .'_ With that much information, I automatically assumed and expected myself to be in a cave with Ichigo and Yoruichi. I forced my eyes open and saw that I was right. Ichigo woke up before me and has apparently opened up his wounds, with the blood dyed spot on his lower chest and all. I mentally sighed, knowing that even when in the worst possibly state, he would still do all that he could to help his friends. That's what I admired about Ichigo's personality and looked up to him because of that. Although, I could do without the fights he constantly gets himself involved in and the injuries he is sometimes left with afterwards.

"So, behold! Here is what I really look like!" I heard Yoruichi say. I felt my eyes widen as she began her transformation. And after she was finished, she would be in her birthday suit without caring or reminding herself of the clothes that wasn't present on her body.

And then it hit me: wouldn't this be Ichigo's first time seeing a naked woman? _'Ah, hell no!'_ With the rejuvenated strength I had, I leaped over to Ichigo and blocked his sight with both hands, accidentally pulling him back and on top of me. Seriously, how much did he friggin' weigh?! Was it the muscles?

"What the hell? Who is this?" a frantic Ichigo asked while trying to pry my hands off of his eyes, but I wouldn't let go that easily and held on no matter what. He may not seem like it, but Strawberry here was as innocent as a little boy when it came to never seeing a nude woman.

"Take a guess, dumbass," I shouted in his ear as I struggled to keep him from seeing a now butt-naked Yoruichi as the smoke cleared. She crossed her arms over her exposed bosoms and cocked her head sideways, wondering why I was so worried about him seeing her like that.

"Oh, I see what's going on!" she exclaimed as an idea popped up in her head. "You're trying to keep Ichigo from seeing any naked women so he won't be disappointed when it's your time to shine, am I right?" Yoruichi winked while teasing me.

I knew that it was just a joke, but seriously! Her boobs were around the same size as my own! Or was it the other way around? Either way, my cheeks immediately became flustered as I threw Ichigo back into a wall without thinking and confronted the smirking woman with an embarrassed look on my face. "What do you mean by 'disappointed'?! My bra size is probably the same as yours! Besides, who said I wanted the little jackass to see me naked? If he even tried to peek under my skirt at school, I would have beaten him to a pulp! So what makes you think that I'm trying to be the first woman he sees with my goodies out for the world to see?!"

Yoruichi was having the time of her life as she laughed at my reaction. Honestly, I didn't get how she saw this amusing. "Calm down, Alex, and you need to be careful when you're throwing people aimlessly around like that. Most of Ichigo's wounds could be opened up again."

I blinked at her with sincere confusion seen in my green eyes. ". . . Huh?" I turned around to find Ichigo crawling out from a rack of weapons that fell on him when I threw him into it. "Oh . . . my bad," I sweat dropped while smiling sheepishly. Maybe I needed to work on that whenever I had time to spare.

"Dammit, what the hell is your problem? You could've killed me, you know!" he yelled as he looked up. Once again, I prevented him from seeing Yoruichi by throwing sheets in his face. Knowing how stupid he can get, I watched as he got himself tangled up in them, letting out a few giggles every now and then.

"Wow, you're even more jealous than I thought!" I snapped my head with steam blowing out of my ears like an engine, obviously becoming fed up with Yoruichi's teasing.

I went into a small fit, stomping my feet while repeatedly jabbing my fists in the air. "I am _not_ jealous! Do you hear me, Yoruichi? Why would I be jealous of other chicks wanting to expose themselves to Ichigo?! They can go ahead for all I care, because it'll prove that he really is a perverted dumbass!"

"**What?!**" a voice yelled from under the sheets on the other side of the room. Ichigo shot out from underneath them and darted toward me. Luckily, he didn't see – or was too busy being pissed off to notice – Yoruichi. "I am not a pervert, dammit! How many friggin' times do I have to tell to get it through that thick head of yours?! Don't you ever think of me to be that type of man, got it?"

"Oh, excuse me! But just to be sure, would that have really been your first time seeing a woman naked? Wait – correction: a _grown_ woman naked. You've probably already peeked in on girls your age in the past, huh Ichigo?" From the big tick mark growing on his face, I knew that I was pushing his buttons.

Meanwhile, Yoruichi shrugged and went to dress herself, mumbling about the clothes being uncomfortable after being in cat form for so long.

"I am a man that_ protects_ others! What the hell would I possibly gain from checking out naked women?"

"Ask your idiot friend, Keigo, when we get back! I'm sure he's done it, or attempted to, plenty of times!"

"Oh, please! Keigo is too stupid and uncoordinated to pull off something as easy as that!"

"Hah! So you admit that you've done it before, or else you wouldn't be saying that it's easy!"

"What, no! That's not what I meant! I was only saying that –."

"Alright, you two, that's enough!" Yoruichi spoke over us, seizing our arguing as we shot our heads in her direction. "I'll let the both of you have some _alone_ time to yourselves after I've informed you about a few things," she said, winking and causing us to blush like bleeding tomatoes.

"Hold on a minute! What are you talking about, Yoruichi?! You think that we're . . .? Oh, no, no, no, no, _no_," I yelled as I furiously shook my head. Ichigo gaped like an idiot while an eyebrow twitched as fast my head disagreed with her assumption.

All she did was cross her arms and shrugged, continuing to think that it's young, innocent, teenage love. I desperately wanted to jump off of Sokyoku Hill if she kept teasing us like that.

After getting a good look at her, Ichigo final realized something about Yoruichi. "Wait . . . you're a girl?! But, I thought you were a cat?!"

I face palmed at his stupidity. "Ichigo, please start using your head more when it comes to practical things such as common sense."

"Alex is right, Ichigo. Cats don't talk, and I'm sure you know this just like everyone else. Why else would you have reacted the way you did?" Yoruichi said, backing up my point. "But enough playing around; we need to get back to business. Alex," she turned to me, "since you're injuries weren't as serious as Ichigo's, your body is near full recovery. Can you heal Ichigo and his opened wounds?"

Returning back to my normal self, I calmed down and nodded before sitting down on my little mat that lay next to Ichigo's. "Come on, doofus, you need to lie down!"

Ichigo scoffed at me while dragging his feet over to his mat, resting himself back onto it as I started to use Nokutan Tebukuro over his exposed yet bandaged chest. Soon, the area where it was soaked with blood was healed. Yoruichi then stood by Ichigo's right side, holding a long, beige, wand-like artifact with a small bird shaped skull with four protrusions similar to fingers bones extending from the back of its head. "What's that?" Ichigo asked, looking up as she sat down.

"This is the device I used to carry the both of you to this cave. You simply put your spiritual pressure in it to activate it, and it gives you the ability to fly." She handed him the device to examine it further. "There's not another one like it, not even in the Soul Society! Impressive, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah, but I can't imagine how you got your paws on such a valuable device," Ichigo said. "You can change forms and do it so effortlessly, and you have the ability to heal wounds. Now this . . . Yoruichi, who_ are_ you?"

I, too, wondered about this, since my memories of the future episodes just happen to fade when I needed them the most. Geez, this wouldn't have been so hard if wasn't for that stupid side effect of being in this universe. _'Speaking of, where did Bobo run off to, anyway? Is she with any of the others? If she is, then that would take a load of worry off of my shoulders. She may be strange at times, but she's like a little sister to me, and I've always wanted to know how that felt.'_ A slight throbbing in my head pulled me out of my thoughts. I winced at it, but I pushed it aside, thinking that it was only temporary. It happened again, only this time with more pain. "Damn, what the hell is up with the sudden headache? Yoruichi, I hope you didn't hit my head or drop me on the way up here."

"What," she started, playfully seeming to be offended, "how can you say that, Alex? You felt so light that I was worried you would've been blown away by the winds! Besides, you should be worried about whether or not I dropped Ichigo."

"You dropped me!?" Ichigo yelled, but I had to calm him down before he added stress to any of his wounds. "And when were you planning on telling us, dammit!"

Yoruichi laughed at his overreaction. "Relax, Ichigo. I'm much stronger than you think." Another round of pain hit me, getting her and Ichigo's attention. "Is something the matter, Alex? Maybe you hit your head during the battle with Kenpachi. You were near them when they fought, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't remember – hitting my head on anything," I paused in between as I reached to grab my head with one hand. A little bit afterwards, the migraine subsided, for now at least. "I'll be fine, though. So don't worry about it, okay?"

Before she could say anything else, we all sensed a familiar spiritual pressure. It was powerful and would've brought me down to my knees had I not been that strong enough. Ichigo knew that it belonged to none other than Byakuya Kuchiki. Yoruichi stated that it came from the Senzaikyu, or the Repentance Cell.

Without my realizing it, Ichigo shot up from his mat with Zangetsu and the device in hand, ready to leave. But Yoruichi stopped him, saying that in his condition, there wasn't much that he could do, for I didn't heal his injuries completely. He argued that if he couldn't do it, then who else would? I felt a little vein throb in my temple as my mouth twitched in annoyance. "So, the dumbass forgot that_ I_ was fully recovered, huh? Just wait until I . . ." I mumbled under my breath as Yoruichi ran to the entrance of the cave, the door of it now demolished from Ichigo's exit. "There goes the world's most determined, hard-headed idiot."

"I appreciate that you're trying to lighten the mood, but Ichigo doesn't understand that he is no match for Byakuya at the moment, even if in full health," Yoruichi said, boring her golden eyes at my semi-bored, comical face. "Besides, I'm sure he knew that the same went for you as well, which is why he didn't ask for you to go instead, especially with those sudden migraines."

I was almost surprised that she somehow heard me say that, but knowing her, it was possible. "Uh, yeah, I guess . . ." My eyes fell from her stare as I trailed off. I found myself fiddling with Ichigo's sheets, puffing my cheeks out in slight frustration.

"Come on now, Alex. Don't be mad at him," Yoruichi started as she came over to pat my head, messing it up a little while also being careful not to worsen the headaches. I kind of felt like a kid who didn't get what they wanted. "He's only looking out for you and making sure that you don't get yourself hurt. I understand that you've become much stronger since the first time you came here, but even if you have beaten a lieutenant, that doesn't mean you've reached the point of actually defeating or going into battle with a captain."

I think sighing had become so natural to me that it was like breathing. "Yoruichi, quit lecturing me like I don't know this already," I retorted comically, avoiding her eyes. I heard her chuckle as she began heading outside. "Hey, what about –?"

"You just stay here until I come back with Ichigo. I can only carry one person when using Flash step, or else we won't be able to get away as fast. If you knew how to use it, I would have let you come along. But when I return," she threw a smirk at me over her orange clothed shoulder, "I'll be sure that the Goddess of Flash teaches you right away."

That's right. Yoruichi was still a beast at Flash Step. Even Byakuya couldn't keep up with her! I smiled up at her just as she disappeared from my sight. I shouldn't be worried then, right? Well, I was concerned for Hanataro and Ganju, especially the Shiba Clan's youngest. Didn't he get himself cut up from Senbonzakura's blades? I'm sure that was it, since he did face Byakuya for a short period of time. I gripped onto the sheets, feeling a little useless at the moment. But I had to remind myself that I wasn't like Orihime: not being able to do much at all. It's not that she couldn't do anything; it's just that she wasn't suited for battle. Sure, she could use a few moves Tatsuki taught her when it came to unseated officers, but she would need her Shun Shun Rikka in other situations that were too much for her to handle by herself.

_'Even so, just like the others, I want to become stronger for their sake.'_ I wished that I was like Renji and could materialize my Zanpakuto into our world. That would mean I was one step closer to achieving or train for the use of Bankai._ 'Bankai . . . I wonder what Shi e no Setsuka's is like?'_ I asked myself.

_**"Why not ask me yourself?"**_ a melodic voice asked. It came from behind me, so I peeked over my shoulder to see who could've gotten inside without my knowing.

My eyes widened in awe. "No way . . ."

* * *

I was at a loss for words as the person before me stood in the shadows of the half lit cave. How it happened was beyond me. All that mattered was that I could actually train with Ichigo when he returned. "Shi e no Setsuka," I happily whispered. "This is just too cool."

She crossed her arms, and I could tell that there was a smirk forming underneath her mask. **_"__Indeed it is. Again, I must say that your growth in power has improved a great deal since the last time we spoke to one another. And I see that you are doing well with the Nokutan Tebukuro,"_** Shi e no Setsuka said while walking over to me, taking a seat down on my mat.

"They sure are! I was even able to try out the defensive techniques during my battle with Shuhei. Although, I think I might have gone a little overboard with that last punch I gave." I sweat dropped at the memory and rubbed the back of my neck. To be honest, the sight of my Hollow mask making an appearance was pretty scary. It was similar to the time when Ichigo went all out with that one final attack against Kenpachi. Just thinking about the psychotic man and his battle with Ichigo gave me the chills. "Not to sound rude, but why are you here, Shi e no Setsuka?" I asked as I came out of my thoughts and focused on the main topic.

My Zanpakuto casually and slowly shifted her blue eyes to the side as she sat on her knees. _**"As you already know, it is about your Bankai training. Though I realize your situation and understand that it is important that you learn it soon, I do not think that you are ready just yet."**_

"Aw, why not?" my whining little voice said. I pouted with a tick mark throbbing on my head. "Ichigo gets to learn his Bankai in three days, and _his_ Zanpakuto doesn't mind!"

_**"Quit whining, Alex,"**_ she said with a comical straight face. **_"You need to be more serious about this! Learning Bankai in only three days minimum and maximum is dangerous! To cut the amount of time to such an extremely short period is just madness!"_**

"You obviously don't know Kisuke Urahara," I said with a straight face. "Madness is his middle name. Nearly everything he does revolves around that term. So, this shouldn't be a surprise, really."

Shi e no Setsuka sighed at how lax I was being. _**"Alex, you are as strange as that Kurosaki kid you're fond of –."**_

"**For Pete's sake, will you stop saying that I like Ichigo?!**" I was so sure that the loudness of my voice could be heard throughout the entire Seireitei. After I finished yelling at the top of my lungs, I took slow breaths in and out as my body moved along with them. My hair seemed a little messy from my anger, and my hands were in tight fists resting on my thighs. If one more person said anything related to that subject again, I would be happy to murder them on the spot.

During my cool down session, my Zanpakuto was laughing away, making sure not to lose the calm and relaxed composure she usual portrayed._** "You know that it's true, so why not admit it?"**_

"Because it isn't true, dammit!" I growled through clenched teeth. It took me a minute or two, but I finally came out of my murderous phase and became lax once more. "Now, back to the Bankai training, I need to achieve it so that I can –." I doubled over in pain. The headaches were getting dangerously worse by the second. What was going on, anyway? I didn't remember seeing Shuhei use a Kido on me, so what could it have been?

Shi e no Setsuka noticed this and checked to see if I was alright. **_"You should probably lie down now, Alex. Whatever you are going through, the best thing to do is rest for a while."_**

"No, it's okay. I probably just need some . . ." I trailed off without finishing my sentence. Everything became blurry, and I soon fell back onto Ichigo's mat, knocked out from the intense pain. Shi e no Setsuka tried to wake me up, but I couldn't move my body or use my voice. Even though my eyes were open, they gave off a dead and lifeless stare. I couldn't see nor hear anything._ 'What the hell is happening to me? Why can't I . . . do anything?'_

Seconds after I said that, images of the past came flowing into my mind. It wasn't of the past episodes but the past of the Soul Reapers I knew today. They were flashbacks of Yoruichi, Soifon, Momo Hinamori, Izuru Kira, Renji, Toshiro, Gin, and that bastard Aizen. I expected it to stop there, but then it kept going. These must have been my memories coming back to me. I had hoped that most of them would return. Sadly, it stopped at Ichigo's victory against Byakuya. I watched as he screamed out to the world of the Soul Society and then fell back, banging the back of his head against Orihime's forehead. If I could, I would've laughed my behind off.

After that, the memories seized their flow, leaving me with the ones I just received. The migraines went away, and I could move around again. I woke up, clutching onto Ichigo's sheets. My eyes blinked open as I sat up, rubbing my head from the present soreness as a result of my memories coming back to me. _'I don't understand. I thought Bobo said that the longer I stayed here, the more I forget of my old life back in my old home, which also included the episodes of Bleach I watched?'_ I sighed, letting my shoulders droop in confusion._ 'I'll just have to ask her the next time I see her. But until then, I'll put them to good use, starting with saving Toshiro and Momo.'_ "Shi e no Setsuka, I need you to let me go through Kisuke's method of achieving Bankai. If not, then you can at least teach me the third and final move of your Shikai. You only told me two of them and which ones were the strongest."

Her red eyebrows went up, a little surprised at me for getting straight to the point. **_"If I tell and teach you the last technique, then . . . I might as well let you go through Bankai training,"_ **she said with a slight smile.

"R-Really? You'll actually let me?" I was shocked that she gave up turning me down. But so what? Ichigo and I were going to get stronger, and then we'll go our separate ways. He'll stop Rukia's execution and fight Byakuya, and I'll stop Aizen from nearly killing Momo and Toshiro. A part of me felt a bit scared at the thought of possibly fighting the soon-to-be known traitor, but it's normal to get nervous before a big event, right? Please say 'right'.

"Alex, could you help me? I need you to take Ichigo while I fix the . . . Who is that?" Yoruichi stared at Shi e no Setsuka.

I quickly got up and carefully took Ichigo from her, laying him down on his mat. "She's my Zanpakuto, Shi e no Setsuka," I simply answered, already working on an unconscious Ichigo.

The former Head of the Stealth Force went to the other side of the room and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her breasts. "So, when were you going to tell me that you were capable of materializing your Zanpakuto? Or did you plan on showing it off to Ichigo before he left?"

This chick was beginning to get on my last nerves with the damn teasing! "You and Shi e no Setsuka both need to quick teasing me about him. I don't have those kinds of feelings for him, okay? We're at a mutual relationship; nothing more."

"Somebody's in denial," both sang in unison while smiling.

My head hung low as a huge sweat drop appeared over it. _'These people are seriously asking for a death wish.'_

* * *

"This place sure does bring back memories," I said as we entered the secret training grounds Yoruichi brought us to. The terrain looked similar; the size was the same; the fact that we couldn't really tell day from night down here was the same. "Oh yeah, I'm feeling the nostalgia."

"Shut up," Ichigo spat at me with a straight face. "You sound like you're some old lady – OW!"

"Didn't I tell you not to tick me off?" His head formed a swelled bump after my hand every so delicately chopped it. "You really are hard-headed. Your skull is so thick that even a million Zanpakuto can't slice through it!" Just before Ichigo regained consciousness back in the cave, Shi e no Setsuka returned to my inner world. So, neither Ichigo nor I had to hear any of her teasing comments. It's already bad enough that we had to deal with a shape-shifting badass that apparently loved messing with our heads.

Anyway, I helped Ichigo stand back up on his feet so that he would listen to Yoruichi's instructions. She was going to tell him about the consequences of not achieving Bankai in the three days given until he went ahead and stabbed the strange looking cut-out. It's amazing how I didn't notice when he left my side and ended up there. Kisuke's invention then came to life as a materialized Zangetsu manifested before us. He seemed even cooler up close than from watching him on a television screen.

"I'm assuming you overheard our conversation," Yoruichi said with her arms crossed. "If so, then I'll leave the method of fighting to you."

**_"Of course,"_** Zangetsu replied, summoning a massive sea of his own swords but with different blades and hilts of varied shapes and sizes. He then explained to Ichigo what must happen in order for him to go into submission, thus completing Ichigo's Bankai. Soon after, they chose their weapons and commenced the training.

As I watched the two of them fight, Yoruichi came up to me. "When you are ready to begin your own training, just let me know. I'll be over here watching over Ichigo." She was on her way to a raised area before stopping in place. "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to ask of you."

Cold sweats went down my spine as she stared at me with those golden irises of hers, and the look in them wasn't all that welcoming. "Uh, y-yeah?"

"I remember that when I reverted back to my original form, you immediately jumped on Ichigo, trying to stop him from seeing me without any clothes on. I'll admit that it was funny, but then I asked myself: how did she already know I was going to be naked, or the fact that I was a woman?"

"Uh, well, you see, what had happened was . . . Oh my, look at the time? I should be getting started on my own Bankai training," I said while scurrying off to another area, sweat dropping while laughing nervously.

Yoruichi smirked as I backed away. "These kids sure are strange."

I wiped my forehead in relief, glad that I avoided that question._ 'I should really try coming up with some answers for these kinds of situations if I don't want to get caught.'_ While standing straight again, I unsheathed my Zanpakuto and held it out in front of me horizontally, concentrating on manifesting Shi e no Setsuka. A few seconds later, the sound of a flute played as she appeared. She was on one knee as one arm rested on it while the other was on the ground in the form of a fist. Her blue eyes went up to meet with my green ones. "Are you ready to learn Bankai?"

I nodded, "Yes. I'm ready when you are."

_**"Good, then let us begin."** _Shi e no Setsuka stood up before clapping her hands together. She formed a large void that surrounded and separated us from the others. I quietly gulped as everything became dark. Once complete, I could no longer see anything, but I still picked up the sounds of Ichigo's fight. It didn't matter though. What's the point if I was so stricken with fear? **_"What's the matter, Alex? Can't handle a little darkness?"_**

She was toying with me, and I knew it. This was part of her method of fighting after all. Even so, I didn't respond. I only hugged myself tight as I trembled while sliding down against a gigantic wall of earth. And when I said that I couldn't see anything, I literally meant it. It was pitch black in there; not even a speck of light was seen in the void. How the hell was I supposed to train in something like this? Shi e no Setsuka must've lost her mind if she thought that this was going to work.

_**"So I see that it's already affecting you, the darkness. For many years, you feared the dark you see now, not once trying to conquer it. That is why I chose this to be the method of forcing me into submission. Not only will it help you overcome your fear, but it will also help you realize that your eyes are useless when it comes to these sorts of surroundings and situations. You need to rely more on the sense of hearing if you want to defeat me. If not, then you might as well sit there and hear your own blood curdling screams as I kill you. I do not have the tolerance or patience for those who cannot go a minute without the use of their sight.**_" I knew that she was serious about killing me, just like how Kisuke was when he and Ichigo fought back in the training grounds under his shop. _**"Get up."**_

_'But I can't get up! Don't you understand how bad my phobia is? The only movements my body can do are tremble and shake. I can't fight under these conditions!'_ I wanted to say it, but I guess it had gotten so bad that I lost the ability to speak. And if I were to talk, the words would only come out in silent whispers, barely forming anything at all. Something appeared in front of me. I heard a single note play as it did.

_**"Get up!"**_ she repeated herself, reaching for my robes as she lifted me off the ground. I was then thrown across the space and into another large rock. The impact was painful, but it didn't leave as many injuries as I thought, although I did feel my back crack a little. My body slid off the crater it formed and fell to the floor. **_"Maybe you need a little motivation. Sairen no uta (Siren's Song),"_** Shi e no Setsuka called out as she conducted with her hands instead of a baton. The sounds of a harp played throughout the void, each note coming from the vibrating strings that were plucked by an invisible instrumentalist. It was so melodious and soothing that it became addicting.

I felt my limbs move in response to the beautiful music. They helped me stand on my feet, but I had no control over them. My eyes were still no help whatsoever, so my ears served as my body's guide, navigating it through the blackness and to the source of the harp. _'Stop moving, dammit! It's a trap!'_ This technique was ranked 3rd out the three when it came to power, yet its effects should be placed in 1st. The respective colors are dark orange and red-orange, because while the person is attracted to the song from desire and pleasure, they end up being deceived and distrusted after learning that it was that same desire leading them into a trap. But it would be too late once the one using this move delivered a fatal blow to their enemy while they were under its spell. That's why I was confused when Shi e no Setsuka told me that Sairen no uta was the weakest attack. In my opinion, it would best fit in second, or possibly even first!

But enough opinionating on Sairen no uta's abilities; I couldn't allow myself to fall under its intoxicating sounds. I tried forcing my legs to stop, but they kept going toward the source. If I wanted to live a little longer, I needed to concentrate hard enough to regain control over my body. I shut my eyes closed and used all my might, feeling as if I was getting somewhere when one of my feet halted. I tried it again, and the other foot stopped as I sighed in relief. "I'm not letting myself succumb to your Sairen no uta anytime soon!"

If it wasn't for the dark space, I would've been able to see her smirking underneath her mask. _**"I don't know, are you sure your little friend there won't get his feelings hurt?"** _she asked, indicating to . . . to . . .

"This isn't happening . . ." I whispered to myself, rapidly blinking my eyes as I hoped that it wasn't real. But I could see him right there, even in the dark!

"Alex . . ." Ichigo said as he stared at me with those chocolate eyes of his. The reason why I was hoping that it wasn't real was because of how he was . . . ahem, wearing only tight pants. Okay, don't think that I'm a strange person for wanting a shirtless Ichigo. It wasn't my doing! It was the fangirl side of me, which was by the way getting on my very last nerves! "Why don't we have a little _fun_?"

"U-Uh . . ." Curse my developing body and its hormones! Now I was blushing, and the fact that I lost control of my feet again didn't exactly help. And what kind of _fun_ was he talking about? . . . _Oh_! "Um, t-that's okay! I'm not really in the mood for anything fun related at the moment," I stuttered out while trying to force my body to back away.

**_"I wonder how Ichigo will respond when I tell him that you fantasize of him like this. I'm sure both Yoruichi and I will definitely get a good laugh out of his reaction!"_**

"What?! Don't you dare tell anyone about this!" I flailed my arms aimlessly, surprised that I had control of my arms. Now if only the same went for my feet.

**_"Oh? So you admit that you have such sexual thoughts about him! I never imagined a bright girl like you to be so perverted and dirty! You should know better."_**

"Hey! It's not my fault that I had access to hot pictures of him in my other universe! I was young and full of curiosity! Can you really blame a girl? What would you do if you were in my shoes?"

**_"Well, for starters, I would –."_**

"On the second," I stopped her, getting a bad feeling about her answer, "You probably shouldn't tell me."

_**"You have such a negative mind. I wasn't even going to say an answer anywhere near what you were thinking about,"** _Shi e no Setsuka said, obviously ticking me off.

"Wha – ."

"Hey, how long are you gonna keep me waiting? I'm dying to show you a few tricks that you would surely love to see," Ichigo interrupted, making the blush on my face reach a whole new shade of red.

I furiously shook my head, desperately trying to keep my sanity. "A-Absolutely not! What the hell do you think I am?!"

"Oh, come on. Are you chickening out just because it's me? I never figured that to be you. You seem more like a willing and adventurous type of girl." He used a seductive tone to convince me, but it wouldn't work on me. I knew Ichigo, and he would never in a billion years try to seduce anyone, let alone use a seductive voice!

"**I said "no", dammit!**" I shrieked in a high pitched voice. Yeah, that only happened when I got too freaked out or scared for my life. I would honestly rather choose a beating from my Zanpakuto than to do whatever this guy had in mind. My spine tingled and shivered at the mere thought of it!

Just then, my ears picked up the sounds of plucked violin strings. It's kind of like when a cartoon was tip-toeing, and they would use that sound effect. I whipped my head in that direction just in time to catch the swing of Shi e no Setsuka's blade. I dodged it by performing a series of back flips, landing a few yards away from her and the now faded desire. Honestly, why the hell would I want a half-naked Ichigo? _'Okay, if I was still in my other universe, then maybe.'_ "Hold on," I flexed my hands and threw a few punches out in an empty space, "I can move again? But . . ."

A flashback of when Kukaku first showed us her Flower Crane Cannon's launch pad replayed in my head. I remembered how dark it was in there. That's when I chose a random person that was nearest to me and held on to them as a sort of assurance, letting me know that as long as I was with them that there was nothing to be afraid of. I almost smiled and shook my head at the idiot boy I picked. It was no wonder why I felt safe when I saw him as my fangirl's desire. He might have actually deserved a thank you or an apology for most of the abuse given to him. But hey, someone had to take over Rukia's job; don't blame me for being thoughtful!

Sairen no uta's harp continued to play, so the spell was still in effect. So, if I thought about Ichigo and how he always protected his friends, then this was surely in the bag. I straightened up and turned my body so that it would seem sideways while my head stayed forward. As a way to mess with Shi e no Setsuka, I raised my hand and gestured for her to come at me in quick motion. Expecting to hear any sound effects representing her actions, I waited patiently for her to make the first move. Once she did, I instantly heard a rush of piano notes in harmony. My Zanpakuto jumped off from the high point of a small rock mountain and prepared to swing her scythe down on me. With the notes aiding me in pinpointing where she would attack, I spun around with my foot out and sent a flying kick toward her chest after using my hand to grab the staff of her weapon. I smirked at how tense she must have felt. "Looks like I have the upper hand now, Shi e no Setsuka."

**_"Don't get so arrogant."_ **I didn't have time to retort, for the ribbons on the staff glowed red. Immediately, I leaped back to put distance in between, since this was a color I haven't seen yet. With the glowing ribbons, I was able to see for a little while.

So far, Shi e no Setsuka only informed me of two colors and the meanings behind them, which were the personalities of each technique. Shi no komori-uta, Death's Lullaby, was represented by the color black. Its meanings were death, mystery, elegance, and is a symbol of grief, hence the sorrowful sounds it played. Sairen no uta was a mixture of dark and red-orange, as said before with their characteristics. This was what I that knew, and with red being the third one, I guessed that it must have been the final and most powerful attack of her Shikai. _'If she's using this now, then I'm screwed,'_ I thought to myself, bearing a comical expression on the chibi face I now had.

Shi e no Setsuka stood tall as she smirked underneath her mask. _**"I'll make a deal with you right now. If you can stay standing on both feet after this attack, I will gladly teach it to you, following the achievement of your Bankai."**_

I broke out of my chibi daze and held my fists up, ready for whatever she would throw at me. "Bring it," I simply answered, accepting her little deal.

_**"I didn't expect anything less from my wielder . . . *Prestissimo,"**_ she quietly said before disappearing into thin air. The light went away with her, so it became dark once more.

Automatically, I listened out for any sounds that might help me pinpoint where she would be or where she would be coming from. A long, shallow cut was felt on my left arm. My other hand shot itself onto it as I was confused as to how it got there. Another one was made on my leg. A few more could be felt on my cheeks before a painful slash of a blade went across my torso. "What the . . . hell?" I coughed out, a few drops of blood dripping from the corner of my mouth. _'Why can't I hear her presence through the musical sounds? Was she too fast for them to detect her –?'_ My thoughts were cut short as something plunged itself in my back, sending me flying towards a boulder. After crashing in it, I hurried back on my feet, not allowing myself to be defeated so easily. But the attacks didn't stop there.

As I struggled to stand with my injuries, multiple kicks were aimed at the top half of my body. The pain each one left was excruciating. They were so strong yet so swift and fast. I never knew that such a combination could be possible, but it was proven that it could, and I was a witness. The final kick forced me out of the void Shi e no Setsuka formed, which had (thankfully) blocked out any sounds from leaving it. So while we heard Ichigo and Zangetsu battle, they were only aware of the space created for my training. Now that my body had shattered most of the void, we were once again seen and heard by all.

I wondered how far I would go until making contact with a hard surface. I flew over Ichigo, his Zanpakuto, and Yoruichi, all of which had noticed me with slight worry of how my landing would turn out. Not wanting to see that happen, Yoruichi flash stepped behind me just in time before my body made impact with a mountain of earth. Even though I was relieved that she caught me, the severe injuries on my body sent shots of pain throughout it. I cringed as a reaction and gritted my teeth so that a scream didn't come out. My warm, crimson blood stained my robes as it flowed from my wounds. I could even taste the metallic liquid in my mouth as I coughed out more but not much of it, only a little. "Thank you – Yoruichi," I forced out as I gently turned my head to her.

"No need to thank me. Let's just hurry up and tend to those wounds," she quietly replied, returning back to the ground before carefully setting me down where she stood while monitoring Ichigo's Bankai training. "Don't talk so much, alright? And be sure to stay still."

"Yeah, okay," I answered, resting my head on the hard ground. Yoruichi began healing most of my wounds when Shi e no Setsuka appeared by my side._ 'Haven't I suffered enough . . .?'_ I mentally sighed.

**_"You failed to stay on your feet, Alex. I cannot teach you something so powerful if are you not able to withstand it yourself, let alone use it. Aside from that, your new ability to sense your opponents using musical sounds is impressive but still at an amateur level. But, it still shows that you have actually learned to use your ears and not your eyes during battle. And finally,"_** she bent down next to my ear, switching to a whisper, _**"be glad that I won't say anything about your fantasies."**_

"Why you –!" my eye twitched as she chuckled. Apparently, teasing us was the only thing these two loved to do best. "Whatever! Anyway, I want to continue fighting after Yoruichi heals my wounds –."

Shi e no Setsuka closed her eyes as she dismissed her scythe. **_"You will not, and that is final."_**

"What? But I –!" I cringed in pain, hoping that Yoruichi would hurry so that I could relax a little.

_**"I shall not repeat myself! Do not push yourself so much. There is still time for you to defeat me in order to gain Bankai. But as of right now, we are stopping until tomorrow. Besides, if you haven't realized it, it is late, and you have been fighting for hours. Rest, Alex."**_

It's already been hours since we started? I could never tell the time when we're in this place. Either way, she was right. I needed to take it easy for a while. "By the way, when are you going to teach me Flash Step, Yoruichi? You did say that you would when you came back with the idiot Fruit Pop," I asked, feeling a little better as she continued to use her Kido.

A playful smirk spread across her dark skin. "You're just full of energy today, aren't you? Well, alright, I guess I can after taking care of most of your wounds."

"Okay," I smiled while nodding. I then brought my eyes back on Shi e no Setsuka. "So, since you're done for the day, do you go back to my inner world on your own, or am I supposed to do that?"

She crossed her arms, **_"I expected you to know this yourself by now, but I guess that it cannot be helped."_**

I shot an annoyed glare at her. "Shut up! No one told me this!" She soon dissipated as she returned to the meadow of Creeping Myrtles; a strange inner world that I still couldn't understand the significance of why it had the appearance of a meadow.

* * *

"Dammit, Yoruichi, are you – trying to kill me?!" I panted out as I plopped down onto the ground. After healing most of my wounds, we had begun my second training to master Shunpo. We started when Yoruichi ended Ichigo's first day of Bankai training and told him to rest for a bit. She didn't tell him of the hot spring, so I guessed that she would save that until the both of us were finished for the day. And because I asked if she could help me master Flash Step, my training wasn't entirely over just yet. Well, it was now, since I was seriously out of breath. "I know you said that you – weren't going to go easy on me but – this is overkill!"

"Aw, quit complaining," the Goddess of Flash said while using Shunpo to reappear by my tired, aching body. "I haven't even put you through that much. But hey, on the bright side, you're getting better at a fast rate, almost as quick as Ichigo refining his fighting abilities." She stretched her arms out as if she were getting rusty from being inactive for a century. Oh wait, that's right . . .

"So, the perverted Fruit Pop is improving? That's a surprise," I deadpanned, finally able to talk normally after catching my breath. "Speaking of, where is he –?"

"I'm not a 'Fruit Pop'!" a voice growled as I turned to find the source standing a few meters off from where I sat.

Pretending that I didn't hear that, "Oh, hey there, Fruit Pop!"

"What are you deaf?!"

"And what are you, rude and stupid? I said "hey" and you completely ignore the greeting," I said, sounding a little hurt. A pout was added to make it seem real.

"U – Uh, yeah, hey," Ichigo said before thinking it over. He figured out that he let himself get fooled. "Hey, wait a sec!"

"Too late; you already said it." I stood up and went over to him, flicking him on the head with my pointer finger. "Man you are a sucker for a hurt person, or a hurt female for that matter."

He rubbed the sore spot on his forehead, glaring at me through pissed-off, brown eyes. "At least that shows I actually care about your feelings, along with other people," he retorted, turning to face Yoruichi. "So, what now?"

She placed her hands on her hips as a grin appeared. "I have a little treat for the two of you. It's right over there," she said while pointing east of us.

Assuming that the treat was the hot spring, I smiled and rushed over there, showing off a little as I used my new acquired skill, Flash Step. A laugh came out as I heard Ichigo yelling at me for being unfair, thinking that I would claim the treat all to myself. I wasn't that kind of person, you know. I knew how to share most things, keyword being _most_. But, lucky for him, hot springs were amongst the things I shared. Besides, who could hog something as big as that to themselves?

Upon reaching our treat, I stripped down to the undergarments I made recently after being healed by Yoruichi. Well, I only had to make one for the bra since I wasn't wearing one for some reason. It's weird how I'm already wearing panties but not something for my breasts when I became a Soul Reaper. Actually, that made me think about whether or not the other Soul Reapers wore any undergarments. _'Now I'm curious . . . Though I'm sure Yoruichi wore undergarments, right? . . . Right?'_ "Whatever, as long as I have something to cover up, I don't care." I dipped my toe into the springs, receiving relaxing sensations that I would definitely enjoy when fully submerged in the water. A long, relieved sigh left my soothed body as I rested my head on a rock. There was steam rising from the spring as it made it feel like a spa. "Hm," I said as I noticed my injuries being healed in an instant from the touch of the waters. _'Oh, so that's why she let Ichigo come here! I always wondered why she didn't heal his wounds herself, but it probably makes sense if she wants him to be in tip-top shape for tomorrow.'_

"How are you already in the water? You just got here, didn't you?" Ichigo said, panting a little from the run.

I smirked as I watched him catch his breath. "What? You expected me to wait for you? Yeah right," I replied while lowering myself more in the waters. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on in; the water's great! Or are you feeling a little nervous just because I'm a girl?"

There was a tint of pink on his cheeks as he blushed from my question. "Shut up! Just don't look at me while I'm taking my clothes off, got it?"

"Aw, are you afraid of showing off?" Honestly, I felt Yoruichi and Shi e no Setsuka's teasing rubbing off on me. I would have gladly complied and looked the other way. "I'm just kidding, calm down. Don't worry; I won't look." I turned around as he disrobed himself before jumping in, making a loud splash in the process. "Wow that was fast."

Ichigo was too busy staring at the bandages on my chest that served as a bra. I saw that he seemed a little troubled as he barely bowed his head. To grab his attention, I splashed some water in his face, bringing him out of his stupor. "W-What?"

"You okay there, Strawberry? I hope you weren't dozing off."

"No, I just . . ." he trailed off, sighing. "Are you sure that you want to go through with this Bankai training? I mean, you don't have to just because I'm doing it."

"Hm?" I stared at Ichigo, pushing myself up from the rock I leaned on. "That's not why I'm doing this. You're not the only one who wants to become stronger, Ichigo. And it's not just me, but everyone else that came here, too." A smile formed on my face as I gently closed my eyes. "And why are you worried about me? You scared that I'll reach Bankai before you do?"

As I reopened my eyes, Ichigo chuckled while lightly shaking his head. "Yeah, sure am I, Knucklehead." He felt his cuts and scars heal as well, wondering what was going on. "What the hell? My wounds are healing like crazy! Is it the hot spring?" He continued to splash around in it as the others started to fade away. "This is friggin' awesome! I wonder what'll happen if I drink it . . ."

Just as he was about to, I smacked him upside the head, watching as the water he scooped up fell back in the spring. "Stop being so damn stupid, Ichigo! I'm pretty sure that it's just regular water when you consume it."

"You didn't have to hit my head, you know! You could've just told me not to drink it!"

"If I used words and not actions, your hard-headed self would've just done it anyways!"

"How do you know that?" he argued, bearing a comical face as did I.

"Because you're just that predictable, dumbass! And I bet you were expecting me to be fully naked, too, ya pervert!"

"What! That is so not true!" Yeah right. That blush on his face said otherwise. "Besides, how was I supposed to know that you wear underwear and whatnot while bathing?"

"What are you talking about! I only kept the bandages on! I'm not stupid enough to keep something I need dry on when diving into a hot spring or anything of the sort!"

"Then what's the point in keeping your bandages on if they're gonna get soaked?"

"It's a little something I like to call "Replacement"! If they aren't dry by the time I'm finished, I'll switch them out and put on new bandages, Fruit Pop!"

"So, are you two enjoying the treat?" Yoruichi asked. Neither Ichigo nor I had answered, because we were too caught up in our petty argument.

"I told you to stop calling me that, Knucklehead!" Ichigo banged his forehead against mine while he shouted in my face.

I returned the favor and added more force in my head-butt, but we both kept the other in place as we insulted each other. "Then I'll just call you Perverted Strawberry!"

"Don't call me that, either!"

"What are you going do about it, Perverted Strawberry!"

Yoruichi sighed, seeing that we were at it again. An animated sign flashed over her head as an idea popped up in her mind. "Well, since you are both too busy to care, I'll just join in and –."

"Wait, what?!" we both yelled unison, Ichigo being the only one bearing a blush on his face.

"Is something wrong?" Yoruichi smiled innocently.

"Yeah something's wrong! You took your pants off!" Ichigo said, pointing a shaky finger at the undressing woman.

I dunked his head in the water as she went for her top. "So you really are a pervert, huh Fruit Pop? I should've known!" He tried to bring himself back up for air, but I wouldn't let him and forced him back down. It didn't last for long as he shoved me off his head.

"What is the matter with you? Do you want me to suffocate?!"

"I'm coming in now!" Yoruichi announced, making Ichigo cover his eyes to prepare himself. It wasn't needed, anyway, because she transformed into a cat again. Her yellow eyes watched as Ichigo and I stared blankly at her, confused and annoyed at her teasing. "What? You a little disappointed, Ichigo? Come on, be honest." She still didn't get a reply and jumped to a conclusion. "You are, aren't you? You little pervert."

"I am going to drown you," Ichigo threatened with an evident blush painted on his cheeks. "Right after I drown _you_ for attempting to kill me!" He swam after me as I yelped in response, scurrying away from the determined boy.

"Hey, cut it out! I'm sorry, alright? I only did that so you wouldn't see Yoruichi naked!" I shouted while being chased by him.

"I don't care! I could've drowned myself if I hadn't have pushed you off of me! Now you're gonna pay!"

While he chased me around in circles and other shapes, Yoruichi was amused the entire time, thinking it to be a comedy skit. "See? Didn't I tell you that you were jealous? It's alright if you are. It's bound to happen sometime during a person's life."

"Quiet, you! And can't you even help me out here? I'm too young to be killed by a perverted idiot!"

"Why you little . . .!" Ichigo was stopped by a tail whacking his face. "What the hell, Yoruichi! I almost had her!"

"Oh please, you would have gone at it for hours and still end up empty-handed," she deadpanned. "The whole point of this hot spring is to rejuvenate your bodies for the next day's training. Quit fooling around and relax for once. You both have done enough playing around."

"Fine," he and I said as we leaned next to each other against the rocks. I rested on my upper back while Ichigo rested on his elbows, both of us staring at nothing in particular.

"You know, this place looks familiar . . ." Ichigo said, breaking the silence.

"How's that?" Yoruichi asked.

"I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I finally figured out what it reminds me of," he started as he brought his eyes down on me, "Didn't you notice it too, Alex?"

I blinked at him before realizing what he meant. I might as well play along, since it did give me a sense of nostalgia. "Oh yeah, I know what you're talking about. It kinds of like a replica of the training room under Urahara's Shop."

"Actually, it's the other way around," the black cat said. "We tried to model that place after this one when we built it."

"You built this place?" Ichigo was a bit surprised and probably impressed at their handiwork.

"Yeah, when Kisuke and I were kids, we needed a place to play. So, we snuck off and built this place. It was our little secret hideout."

I smiled as I straightened up, hearing Ichigo say that it was insane being able to hide something as huge as this. "I don't know, Ichigo. If they can build something like this, I'm sure they're capable of hiding it."

"Well . . . I guess. What I wanna know is _how_ they did it."

"It's a very long story . . . Back when the two of us were kids, we used to play here all the time. When we got older, he joined the 13 Court Guard Squads, and I joined the Stealth Force. But we still came here to hone our skills."

"Wait, you and Urahara used to –." I interrupted Ichigo by repeating the same thing I did earlier, preventing him from seeing Yoruichi free as ever _and_ with her legs apart.

"For the billionth time, quit doing that, Yoruichi!" I comically shouted at said person while she laughed. "That wasn't funny!"

"Alright, alright," she complied while crossing one leg over the other, doing the same with her arms as they covered her exposed chest. "You can pull him out now. I covered my 'areas'."

Seeing that she wouldn't try anything – or I at least hoped that she wouldn't – I let go of Ichigo and allowed him to breathe again.

As he took in the sweet air that he missed, he shot a death glare that was aimed directly at me. "Will. You. Stop. Doing that!?" he yelled in my face, making my hair blow back from his powerful voice.

"It was either that or a butt-naked Yoruichi with her legs spread," I deadpanned with a chibi expression. "Oh, I get it. You're mad at me because I'm always there to stop you from seeing your _prize_, Perverted Strawberry."

"I'm not even going to waste my breath with you anymore! I won't repeat myself, so stop accusing me of being a perv!" He growled even more as I stuck my tongue out, ticking him off. "Why you –."

"What? You mad bro?" I grinned deviously as he gave up.

"Forget it! Just tell me more about Hat and Clogs, Yoruichi, the truth now." Ichigo didn't hear her reply and told her his suspicions. "The guy's a Soul Reaper, isn't he?"

Yoruichi nodded and waited for him to go on.

He didn't seem all that surprised from her answer, for the clues made it a little obvious. "I always wondered how he knew so much about the Soul Society; not to mention the fact that he had a Zanpakuto . . . I wanna know, Yoruichi. I wanna know the truth about the guy who trained me."

"Alright," she started, "he's the former captain of Squad 12 of the 13 Court Guard Squads. In addition, he is the one who conceived and found the Department of Research and Development, serving as its first chief."

Ichigo's eyes widened, shocked that he had done so much during his time in the Soul Society. "Are you serious? I had no idea he was such a hot shot!"

_'Yeah, but take that away and you have a crazy guy that always come up with methods filled with pure madness,'_ I sweat dropped while mentally sighing, remembering that at the same time, Urahara was sick with a cold and had Tessai trying to give him an expired 'remedy'. "I think I'm gonna go ahead and get some fresh air. Is that alright with you, Yoruichi?"

"Just be sure to conceal your Spiritual Pressure. We wouldn't want any guests paying us a visit, now do we?"

"Believe me when I say that that is the last thing I want," I said, getting ready to get out until remembering that my lower body wasn't covered. "Ichigo, you pervert, don't watch me while I'm getting out!"

Said boy blushed madly as he groaned in frustration, tired of hearing me say that he was that kind of man. "I am not a pervert! Can't you get that through your head?!"

"Shut up and just cover your eyes!"

"Okay, okay, I'm closing them!" He did as he was told and made sure that he didn't peek through his fingers. Once I grabbed my clothes and put on my underwear and hakama pants, or shorts in my case, I allowed him to see again. "Are you happy now?" he grumbled.

"Hell no!"

"What!"

"Yoruichi is still using the hot spring, so get out!" I demanded, getting an annoyed look from him.

"Why should I leave when I was here first?" he argued, wanting to stay in the relaxing and soothing waters.

I crossed my arms over my bandaged chest. "Technically, _I_ was here first, plus she was the one who built this place. So, as I said before, get out!"

Ichigo angrily yet comically gritted his teeth at me, pissed off that two women continued to order him around. Man, this brought back memories of when Rukia was in the World of Living, constantly being the boss of Ichigo since he did have her Soul Reaper powers at the time. "Fine, but you gotta look away, too!"

"Aw, where's the fun in that?"

"Yoruichi!" I warned. Seriously, did she ever pass up an opportunity to play around?

She giggled and turned the other way. "Alright, I'll let Ichigo have his privacy. But don't think I don't know what this is _really_ about!"

My mouth and eyebrow twitched as a tick mark throbbed on my head. "Will you drop that! I don't like him!"

"Mhm, _sure_ you don't," she winked at me.

Right before I said anything, Ichigo announced that he was done. I looked up to see that he too only had on his pants. I raised a brow and wondered why he didn't put on the whole uniform. "Aren't you gonna put the top half on?"

"Yeah, but I'm letting myself dry off a little so I don't get it wet," he answered matter-of-factly.

I blankly stared at him, apparently not understanding the point in that. "It shouldn't matter. You're pants are getting wet, too, so the kisode wouldn't make a difference."

Ichigo returned the same stare, blinking a few times in the process. "True, but since I'm wearing boxers underneath, the pants won't get as soaked as the kisode."

"Wait, you're actually wearing underwear? I didn't know the uniform for men came with boxers! I thought they just might have let it hang out!"

His entire face went red at the mere thought of himself letting his manhood free. "Are you crazy? And these are my own boxers!" Ichigo said, turning around while stomping away. "Look who's the pervert now, Alex!"

I so wanted to dropkick his ass into a rock mountain, but that would mean another trip back in the spring. "Whatever," I growled under my breath, making my way toward the ladder.

* * *

As I reached the top using Flash Step, I kept going and landed on a hill with a platform, which allowed me to see most of the Seireitei. I sat down on the edge and let my legs dangle, swinging them back and forth as I always did while sitting on high places as a child. Not the kind that are dangerous, but things like high chairs or countertops. Yoruichi was right about the time though, for the moon was out and shined down its lunar rays. The clouds floated in the evening sky as some of them would occasionally block out the moon for a bit. A waterfall on the right of the hill brought a sense of Zen to my nerves as my ears overheard its water flowing. There was a nice breeze that tickled my bare yet bandaged torso. I ignored the urge to shiver a little from the water still present on my body and just absorbed the calmness of the night. It's pretty ironic though, with all the chaos that happened over the past few days.

I repeated that last part to myself, shocked that it really has been days since we first arrived to the Soul Society. _'I wonder how Jidanbo, the elder, and Kukaku are doing back in the Rukon District.'_ My hair was still soaked from the spring, so I went ahead and wringed it out, shaking it to air-dry it a little. I noticed that I only had my tabi on and not the sandals. I must have forgotten them while Ichigo was being annoying, _again_. "Which reminds me . . . I still haven't seen any sign of Bobo. Did she get caught?" I lied down on my kisode with my arms stretched out, letting a sigh escape as a way to stop worrying myself. "I'm sure she's fine. Besides, I shouldn't underestimate her abilities. That staff of hers might be more powerful than it looks."

"Who are you talking to?"

"**HOLY CRAP!**" I yelped, snapping my head around only to find Ichigo with a hand on his hip as the other one held something as it hanged by his side. By now, he was fully dressed. A huge tick mark throbbed on my temple while steam came out of my ears. "Ichigo, you dumbass, why the hell are you up here?" I yelled, also making sure that I wasn't too loud so that I wouldn't attract any attention from Soul Reapers on night duty.

"Calm down, Knucklehead. You forgot your hair-tie and shoes, so I brought them up here with me in case you were looking for them," he replied flatly as he walked toward me to hand them over.

When he mentioned my hair-tie, I realized that my hair was down instead of being in a ponytail. I felt a little slow for not figuring that out sooner. But had I really left it along with my sandals? "Oh, thank you." I opened my hands as he placed the items in them, careful not to let the smaller item fall. Now that I had the bunny hair-tie again, my hair went back into its usual hairstyle.

Ichigo took a seat next me and let his legs hang, too. "By the looks of the bunny, I'm guessing that Rukia gave it to you, huh?" he asked while staring out at the city of Soul Reapers.

"Yeah, it was a birthday present. Since I didn't like having my hair down all the time, she thought it would be the perfect gift. The bunny was her idea, of course. But because she has done so much for me, I cherished it, saying that I will always wear it every chance I got." I went back on my kisode to watch the fluffy beds above go by. I wondered why the Soul Society didn't have any stars out during the night like our home.

"It's actually peaceful and quiet up here," Ichigo said softly. "It's no wonder why you wanted to come up here."

To be honest, this was probably the first time we sat down with each other without having someone tell us to behave and not fight. Since we weren't arguing, I might as well tell him. "Hey, Ichigo, can I share something with you?" From the corner of my eye, I saw him nod. "When I was a little girl, about four years old, I developed a fear of the dark. One of the terms for it is nyctophobia, but there are others as well. Anyway, back when I lived in America, someone tried to break into our home one night. The only things they brought were their bare hands for weapons and a bag for the loot. As he searched for any valuables throughout my house, the noises he occasionally made eventually woke me up. I was curious and left the safety of my bedroom to see what caused the racket. When I reached the robber, my sleepy eyes couldn't tell that a criminal was stealing our things. I asked the man, "Why are you taking Mommy and Daddy's stuff away? Won't they get mad when they that see that it's all gone?". He didn't answer me and advanced toward me, seeing that I was still tired and probably not knowing what was happening. Just before he grabbed me though, I became fully alert and saw that I was in trouble. So, I did what any kid would have done and ran away from him. I didn't know where I was supposed to go; I just wanted to get away."

I paused to see if Ichigo was still listening. He was, and his hands twitched every now and then, daring not to tighten into clenched fists. I continued, "Because there weren't any lights on, I couldn't see that much, and the clouds outside blocked out the moon for long periods of time. As I reached the door to my bedroom once again, my nightgown was the only thing stopping me, for the man had used his foot to hold me back. I tried and tried to break free, but his burly, sweaty hands took me by the neck. I was forced down on the floor while he squeezed my throat. The life inside of me was slowly fading. Everything around me became darker than before. I was so scared about dying so young; the worst part was that I couldn't do a single thing about it, for I lost feeling in my arms and legs. He saw this and let go, thinking that I wouldn't get in his way a second time. But what the man didn't know was that I could still use my vocal chords at the very least and scream for help. It was hoarse at first, but it soon improved as I kept trying. He started to panic at my attempts and hurried to the kitchen, only to come back with a knife to end my life with.

"The sick bastard would actually kill an innocent child just to so he could go back to his robbery and come out victorious. Even now, whether he was dead or not, I wondered if he ever thought about what he was doing and if he truly wanted to kill me. But he must have been a heartless fool, for he still planned to slit my throat. It was funny how it became pitch black just as the blade almost came down on me. But thankfully, my dad heard my hoarse screams and came just in time to knock the robber out cold with his own hands. Before he became a silly, overprotective father, he was usually kind yet serious and would never allow anyone to hurt his family."_ 'Well, at least that's what I've heard from Rosa about the father in this universe. The dad I grew up with was always like that,'_ I thought to myself. "I was treated at home, since my injuries weren't life threatening, and recovered a few days later. But the true scars that never healed or went away were the memories of that night: the night when I nearly died and couldn't do anything to change it because I was stripped from being able to use my body from lack of air. But the thing that triggered the memory every time was the darkness. Any time a room dimmed, I got a little nervous. Every night I tried to sleep, I would fail and stay up all night with the lights on. My parents had to let me sleep with them for a while so that I would sleep soundly and not have any nightmares about the most terrifying of them all. This went on for two to three years straight. It would've continued had it not been for a blissful song that saved me one night.

"My mom thought it would help me sleep. She sang it with such a soothing voice, and the stars and moon were shining their brightest that evening, illuminating everything below, allowing their light to seep through the darkest and thickest of forests and places. And it did work, because I slept like a baby and had sweet dreams. So, every night before going to bed, I would sing the lullaby to myself while the stars came out. Do you want to hear how it goes?" Ichigo gave a curt nod and sat there, waiting to hear the song. "It went a little something like this:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky…

When the blazing sun is gone,

When there's nothing he shines upon.

Then you show your little light,

And twinkle, twinkle through the night…

In the dark blue sky you keep,

And through my curtains you often peek.

For you never shut your eyes,

Till the sun is in the sky…

Then a traveler in the dark,

Thank you for your tiny spark.

He couldn't see which way to go,

If you didn't twinkle so.

No, I don't know what you are,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are . . ."

I hadn't realized that I imagined the sky above being filled with numerous, twinkling stars. It made the moon pop out more, really.

"So, do you sing that to yourself every night before going to bed?" Ichigo asked, bringing me out of my daze. "Didn't that get old as you grew up?"

"No. It became a part of me eventually. But then, something – or should I say someone – had helped me find another way to conquer my fears," I smiled, trying not to make it too obvious. "Do you wanna know who?"

He just _had_ to nearly ruin the moment with his comical expression, along with his reply, "What kind of a question is that? You think I'm gonna say "no" and find out myself? I'm not a psychic, Knucklehead."

"A simple "Yeah" would've been fine, Fruit Pop," I said through gritted teeth. "Anyway, it was you that helped me."

Ichigo needed a moment to sink it in. Afterwards, he turned and gave me a confused look. "Me? You sure about that? What did I ever do to help with your phobia? You never said anything about it to anyone 'til now."

I sat up while putting my kisode on, tying the obi sash behind my back. "Do you remember what happened back at Kukaku's?"

"Uh . . . Well, that depends on what I'm supposed to remember. Be a little more specific."

"Okay, how about when we were in the _dark _room while Kukaku told us that she would get us in the Seireitei through the air?"

"Oh yeah, I could still remember how I thought that it was the craziest idea ever. But how did that help you?"

While staring at the idiot, a frustrated sigh came from me. Was he seriously that clueless? "Dammit, you ninny, try thinking about what I did while Kukaku said what she said!"

" . . . You stood there next to me," he began, for once actually getting somewhere. I motioned for him to continue, hoping that he would remember. "And . . . Uh . . ."

"For the love of Crud, Ichigo, I held on to you because you gave me a sense of protection and I felt at ease as long as I was with you. And because of that, any time I saw you or thought about you, I would forget about my fears. Damn, you are stupid!" I plopped my body down on the hill beneath us. I didn't wait for an answer or a reaction. It stayed quiet like that for a little while, save for the waterfall on our right.

" . . . You didn't have to be so harsh about it, you know. It's your fault for not dropping enough hints in the first place," Ichigo said in a calm tone, bearing a comical face.

This boy was surely asking me to kick him off of the hill! "Really, Ichigo? Really?" I wanted to gladly tell him off, but it was too late for fighting. "Ah, forget it. I'll tell you off in the morning," I said while standing up. "Right now, I'm exhausted and would like to get some rest." I was about to jump off when Ichigo stopped me.

"How long have you kept that locket on?" I could tell that he was sincere about it. Not once was there a hint of annoyance or irritation in his tone. "Even in the hot spring, you had it on the whole time. Don't you ever take it off?"

My hand subconsciously reached up to touch the silver trinket, its spade shaped body reflected off the moon light. " . . . It's too valuable and important for me to take it off. Besides, if I did, then I wouldn't be reminded of the person who changed my life the most." I didn't turn around to see Ichigo face me, but I could sense that he was either smirking or giving a slight smile in my direction. I thought myself to be wrong, so I went ahead and checked to see if there was a change in expression.

"What?" he asked, and was indeed bearing a small smile.

" . . . Nothing, Perverted Strawberry," I playfully smirked as I was chased back to the training room with a confused Yoruichi watching and a ticked off Ichigo on my tail. I guess Ichigo was just that kind of person that you couldn't live without, once you got to know him.

* * *

**_*Prestissimo: as fast as possible or in a very quick tempo._**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

"When you know someone is sleeping, you shouldn't be yelling your damn head off!" I scolded to Ichigo as he lied under my foot. His body twitched from the pain I inflicted on him in response to his loud calls for Yoruichi. "Why don't you try to learn how to be less impatient while waiting for someone, idiot?"

Ichigo stood from the ground and pushed my foot off his back. He angrily yet comically gritted his teeth as he glared at me with a throbbing tick mark. "First of all, why the hell were you still asleep? You should've been getting ready for your Bankai training, lazy ass!"

"Hey, I'm not _that _lazy! And besides, I can manifest my Zanpakuto without needing Yoruichi to help me, unlike your helpless self!" I yelled back and clenched both hands into fists that hung by my sides.

"_I'm _the one who's helpless?! You're the one who said that without me, you wouldn't have handled being in the dark!"

"Well – you're the one who . . ." He had a point there. I probably would have been dead by now if it weren't for Ichigo. _'I hate it when he's right,' _I mumbled in my head. Without another word, I spun around with my arms crossed, feeling a little defeated.

I could sense the smirk on the idiot's face as he saw that I had nothing else to say. "What's wrong? You run out of comebacks already, Knucklehead?"

"Shut up, _Perverted Strawberry_," I said, amused to see his annoyed expression after hearing my little nickname for him. "What's wrong? You mad about the truth behind your nickname?"

"I already said it a thousand times. I am _not _a pervert!" Ichigo's shouting blew my hair back, but I still smirked in victory.

"Calm down, you know I'm only kidding. Or . . . am I?" His anger grew, and it was pretty obvious that he was about to blow up on me. "Okay, okay, I'm kidding! Man, you're easy to piss off."

Yoruichi returned from outside, most likely after contemplating on whether or not she should extend Ichigo's Bankai training. It would have been a good idea to tell her that we weren't going to have enough time to do so either way, but I knew that would bring up plenty of questions. I bet that Yoruichi didn't even forget about how I avoided answering her before. "Alright, Ichigo, are you ready to continue?" she asked while moving toward us.

"Of course I'm ready. Why do you think I was calling you for the last five minutes! What took you so long, anyway?"

"It's nothing that you need to worry about right now. Let's just hurry and get started." Yoruichi looked over at me with a slight smile. "So, do you want to go ahead and work on your Flash Step before your own training, Alex?"

My face paled at the sudden thought of going through her intense lessons. That alone should have been a big enough hint for her. "That's okay. Maybe later on . . ." I headed to the area I was at yesterday and stopped to turn half of my body around. "Oh, and the next time you guys see me, I'll have achieved Bankai!" I shouted with a playful smile. Ichigo smirked while Yoruichi smiled.

I turned back around and used Flash Step to shorten the trip. Once I made it, I unsheathed my sword and stabbed it into the ground. I summoned Shi e no Setsuka, and her most admired instrument, the flute, played while she appeared from the smoke, just like before. Her blood colored braid blew with the smoke's light wind, as did her bangs. She was kneeling on one knee before standing up to face me. _**"I see that you've somewhat grown since the last time. But don't think that you can beat me just because of that. Prepare yourself, Alex," **_Shi e no Setsuka said while she created the dark void, which blocked out any sounds that may come from our fight, along with the sight of it.

With the thought and imagination of Ichigo waiting for me outside the void, I was ready to fight against my Zanpakuto. It was different this time, now that I wasn't so afraid anymore. "But before we start, I want to master Prestissimo, and I don't want to hear you argue against it!" I quickly added the last part before she would object.

Shi e no Setsuka was silent for a short while. _**" . . . If that's what you want," **_she brought out her scythe and leaned it near her body, _**"then I shall make this one more powerful than the last one, since you talk so big of yourself. Just know that I **_**will not **_**go easy on you, understand?" **_

"Yeah," I nodded, even if she didn't see me. My muscles tightened as I stood tall and waited.

The respective color of the technique glowed from the ribbons just before she said its name, _**"Prestissimo." **_Her movements were once again much too fast for my musical sounds to follow. She disappeared and didn't waste a single moment to attack me.

At least 15 seconds later, I was already cut up from her blade marking my body with each slice. The new wounds were painful, but I wouldn't let them bring me down. Truthfully, I could say that I did become a bit stronger when it came to endurance. Yesterday, I had already felt my knees buckle as they struggled to keep my body up, but today I nearly gave way only once and continued to stand. Before I could take one step forward, Shi e no Setsuka came at me again, only this time without using her weapon to inflict damage. There were bruises that began to form on my arms and legs, making everything so sore. I guess it wasn't so bad, compared to Yoruichi teaching me how to use Flash Step. Believe me when I say that that woman was somewhat like Urahara.

Even if it may be near impossible, I attempted to listen out for any of sounds. It failed the first ten seconds, but then the sound of a rushed flute playing was detected. It was only for a split second, so I had to use that sound to my advantage. I shot my hand at her, harshly taking her wrist hostage. I still couldn't believe that it actually worked! When I touched her, Prestissimo was disrupted just before reaching 30 seconds. "Gotcha," I quietly said with a devious smile. She yanked her arm from my grasp and fled, not even using the technique a third time. That might have meant that she saw that I was worth teaching the move to! I never expected it to be this easy.

"_**Don't think that it's over yet, Alex."**_

My eyebrow twitched as I stared into the dark space. "Oh, come on! We had a deal! You said that if I was still standing after you used Prestissimo, you would teach it to me afterwards!" Steam blew from my ears as I vented out my anger. "What gives?"

**_"All that I said was the truth, but_**_** I never said that I couldn't use it however many times I wanted, now did I?"**_

My shoulders slumped forward with an exasperated expression on my face. "I can never get a break."

She giggled at my complaining and advanced toward me. She must have reached her limit with Prestissimo, since she didn't use it another time. As I blocked and dodged her hits while sending my own, I thought about the patterns of the technique. _'The first time she used it, it lasted for only 15 seconds, but when used a second time, the time period doubles. Plus, she took a short rest before using it again. So, with the possibly maximum of two uses, she has at least a minute and under of rest available to her. Question is: could Prestissimo be cancelled if the resting period went over? Also, can it be used a third time?' _I did a back flip to avoid her scythe and pushed myself far away from her. "I'll just have to find out the hard way," I mumbled under my breath.

"_**What are you mumbling about?" **_she asked while probably giving me a suspicious stare.

"Why should I tell you? It's not as if it'll do you any good if you knew," I retorted before flashing behind her to send a kick her way. With her staff, Shi e no Setsuka blocked it. We both struggled and were soon forced back from each other. I parried each of her attacks until spotting a light behind her. A harp's strings were gracefully strung as my eyes widened.

"_**Sairen no uta,"**_ Shi e no Setsuka's ribbons were now red and dark orange. The joke was on her, because I already knew what kind of 'desire' she had in store.

"Oh no, I'm not falling for that again! So, you can forget about it!" I charged forward without really thinking of what could appear and aimed a foot to her head. Unfortunately, my 'desire' had appeared and stopped the attack by grabbing my ankle. He then hung me upside down as he smirked hungrily at me. _'I am seriously tired of this bullcrap, because this is just friggin' ridiculous!' _A red as velvet blush rose to my cheeks while I struggled to free myself. At least this time he had on a tight T-shirt, possibly even a muscle shirt, instead of being half naked. "For the last time, you can forget about me having _fun _with your pervy ass! Now put me down, dammit!"

"No way, I finally caught you, and I'm not letting you escape so easily. Besides, you need to relax and try taking a little . . . 'break'."

"You are one sick and perverted bastard, you know that?" I yelled at him, since I couldn't kick him in the face due to Sairen no uta's harp controlling my limbs. How the heck was I supposed to get out of this mess now? _'Honestly, couldn't my desire be someone who was less 'wild'? I'd rather have an Ichigo that constantly insults me and tries to get back at me for giving him that nickname!' _I felt another hand touch my leg in a different spot and pull me up higher. I was confused and wondered what was happening. I realized that 'Ichigo' was trying to put me over his shoulder to take me somewhere more _private_. _'Think again, Pervert!'_ With all the strength I could muster, I regained some feeling in my arm again and socked him square in the jaw, which caused him to release his hold on me.

The hard drop had brought feeling back to my other limbs, and I took that chance to flee. I concentrated on finding my Zanpakuto but heard no sounds whatsoever. The desire vanished, and it was back to fighting in the dark. _'Alright, if I were a Zanpakuto, where would I be hiding?' _I asked myself while searching for Shi e no Setsuka.

"_**I'm over here, Alex,"**_ her melodic voice said as a red glow was seen from above me. Her abrupt disappearance was followed by a series of physical attacks making contact with my already beaten up body.

It stung the open wounds as my arms acted as a shield to absorb most of the blows. No matter what, I had to stall and push her over her resting period. I tried to hear any sounds effects and for once managed to identify it as the same rushed notes of a flute. It kind of made sense since it was Shi no Setsuka's beloved instrument. Sadly, even if I did finally hear her movements, it was difficult to keep up with! It sort of reminded me of the piece, "Flight of the Bumblebee".

'_Come on, Alex, just concentrate!' _I told myself, which actually helped. Once I did exactly that, I sensed that her attacks slowed down and felt myself become faster. It was weird, but when I performed a chain of hits, my arms and legs were almost as fast as lightening. I was now the one who was too quick for the other and easily sent Shi e no Setsuka flying into a wall. As she made impact, I looked down at my hands only to see them glow Prestissimo's color. Knowing me, I was already freaking out while flailing my arms. After a moment of calming down, I played around and moved them in random directions. They reminded me of light sabers. _'Okay, no more watching Star Wars, even if I couldn't help it.' _My fists shot up into a stance as I heard Shi e no Setsuka brush her body off from the rocks lying down on her.

"_**So, you've – learned the technique yourself," **_she grunted out while removing a heavy boulder on her leg. _**"It doesn't matter, for you still have to defeat me in order to reach Bankai." **_

"Your point? With this baby, I got this in the –." The glow diminished and became dim, letting me know that 15 seconds were up. "Really? Now of all times!" I was cut short as Shi e no Setsuka tackled me into what felt like a huge boulder. After pulling back, I coughed up blood and then wiped my mouth off from any leftovers still around it. "Alright, you asked for it!"

I've never really done this before, but it's like they say: "There's always a first for everything". I summoned Nokutan Tebukuro as my Spiritual Pressure manifested into an electric blue power that bled from my being, not taking the shape of my Hollow's mask as it did during my last battle with Shuhei. It was like multiple flames dancing around me, lighting up the void surrounding us. I wouldn't lie; a small part of me wanted to stare at myself in awe at the power I had within me, but I had to focus on more important matters.

Shi e no Setsuka straightened up, also preparing herself. _**"If you're putting everything you've got in this one attack, then I'll do just the same." **_She removed her mask for the first time and released an immense amount of Spiritual Pressure. It was, as expected, the same color as my own. Her scythe was called forth and spun around in her hands before becoming a part of her fighting stance. I, too, brought my fists up but in a slower pace, which I thought had added effect.

Instead of my irises bearing the color green, they changed to the same hue of our Spiritual Pressures. My arms themselves, not the gloves, began to glow Prestissimo's color as did Shi e no Setsuka's ribbons. In unison, we both called out the technique as we charged head on, "Prestissimo!" Our bodies then became blurred as a ground-shaking explosion followed after we collided. Everything turned white while the black void disintegrated, allowing the others to witness our battle.

As all had faded to smoke, I stood in the large cloud of the substance alone. Shi e no Setsuka was nowhere to be found, which obviously indicated that I forced her into submission. A pure white sword with a dark gray hilt but no tsuba was in my right hand. I looked down upon it and noticed that I still wore Nokutan Tebukuro. To be honest, I was kind of expecting a bit more of from my Bankai. It was just a simple sword with no tsuba. But, then I took a closer look at my clothes only to be amazed and a little surprised by the appearance.

My outfit resembled Shi e no Setsuka's, but instead of boots, I wore black flats. The sleeveless kimono was a regular blue with no designs. The obi sash had the same white tone fading into the blue. There were the same short leggings that stopped mid-thigh, and as a new feature, two coattails started from the kimono and trailed down to the back of my knees. I didn't have the mask covering my lower face, though. "Holy crud, this is sweet! But I still wished that the sword had a little more –."

"_**Are you seriously talking about this right now?" **_Shi e no Setsuka said in my head. _**"Why not try saying my name? I'm sure you'll be quite fond of it as you are with –."**_

'_Don't_ _even start with me, dammit!' _Anyway, she was right. The name of her second release was dying to be spoken by my tongue. My lips barely parted as I began to speak the words I always thought would always be said in the anime, "Bankai . . . Shiki-sha Shi e no Setsu . . . ka (Conductor of Lethal Melodies)." I had allowed the numerous wounds on my body and fatigue to get the best of me as I fell forward, instantly falling asleep. The last thing I saw and heard was Yoruichi telling me, "Huh, I guess you were right."

* * *

The last person I saw was the first one I spotted after waking up from my long rest. Yoruichi spectated Ichigo and Zangetsu's battle as she stood over me. I moved my arms and legs only to feel a type of material on them. I brought one of my arms up and found a new set of bandages wrapped around it. The same went for my other three limbs and most of my torso. She must have seen how badly wounded I was and patched me up. I should probably thank Yoruichi for that once I was fully awake.

When I tried to sit up, shots of pain were sent throughout my body. I winced a little but continued to stand on my feet. A Shihakusho adorned my figure again, which indicated that my Bankai was dismissed, most likely subconsciously. My lips then stretched themselves into a smile, because I was so proud of myself for accomplishing such a goal. Who knew that a girl like me could actually achieve the unimaginable?

"Are you feeling alright, Alex?" Yoruichi brought me out of my thoughts as she looked at me from the corner of her eye, not once turning my way. "You did quite a number on your body."

I gently nodded as I flexed a hand. "Yeah, I feel fine. Thank you for taking care of my injuries by the way. I highly appreciate it."

Yoruichi waved at me, saying that it wasn't a problem. She then turned her head with a half-smile on her face. "So, what are you gonna do now? Will you wait for Ichigo and rescue Rukia together?"

She winked at me, causing me to sigh exasperatedly. A bandaged hand went on my hip as I looked up and away. "I'll wait, but not for Ichigo. I actually have a few plans of my own. It doesn't require the use for my Bankai, although he could be a last resort if needed, especially with the person I'm targeting."

"Hm? Who is your target?" she asked, sincerely curious.

"Sorry; I can't tell you that just yet. Besides, you would probably say that it's too dangerous and that I should just stick with rescuing Rukia," I said with a comical blank face.

Yoruichi raised a brow before relaxing and smiling. "You're probably right. That would've been the case. But, I trust that you know what you're doing. So go ahead and do what you think is best. Just don't get yourself beaten the next time I see, understand?"

I returned the smile with a nod, laughing in the process. "I understand, Yoruichi."

"Good. Now how about we do a little Flash Step training to keep you busy while you wait?" she suggested with a smirk.

I did the same. "I'd be happy to, Goddess of Flash."

* * *

The following day near noon, Renji and I were ready to head out. Oh, that's right. Renji found us yesterday and wanted to train for Bankai as well. He also informed us about Rukia's execution date being moved at noon the next day, which was of course today. Yoruichi, Ichigo, and Zangetsu were struck by the news. I would've been too had I not remembered days ago. Nonetheless, Ichigo continued to train, ignoring Yoruichi's doubts. Even when time was about to run out for him, he didn't quit, not once.

As Renji and I started toward the exit, I stopped to call out to Ichigo. "Hey! Ichigo!" He paused but had his back facing me. "When we meet up with each other again, I have better see you come out successful in saving Rukia, ya hear?"

"Hey!" Renji shouted near my ear. "What is that supposed to mean? You think I can't save her myself?" Renji wasn't the only that did a few changes to his clothing. I ripped off both sleeves of my Shihakusho and wore bandages that stopped in the middle of my biceps. And no, I didn't gain any physical muscle. Besides, I didn't need muscle to show that I could kick a person's ass.

"Take a chill pill, Pineapple," I shot at him flatly, giving him a blank stare. "I never said that you can't."

"Yeah . . . I hear you, Alex." I could almost see the toothy smirk on his face. Even without the knowledge of the episodes ahead of us, I knew that Ichigo alone would be the one to save Rukia.

"Well, we're gone!" I called out as I waved to both Yoruichi and Renji. He stayed behind for a second to talk with Yoruichi about something. Knowing that it was about whether or not Ichigo would reach Bankai, I flash stepped out of the underground training room and into the Seireitei.

A cloak of sunlight draped over the city of Soul Reapers, bringing a new day to all. It might have been a bright and beautiful one, but the fact that there would be an execution taking place soon had ruined it completely. _'Come on, Alex. Now is not the time to be worrying about it. Focus on finding the Central 46 compound,' _a voice said in my head. I listened to it and hurried to the streets of the Seireitei to begin my search. Once I did, I felt Renji leave after me. He was of course set on defeating his captain, Byakuya Kuchiki. It's kind of felt weird already knowing the future and pretending that everything was so new.

As I sought out for the location of Central 46, I immediately became lost. In response to that, I had banged my head against a wall. "Great, just flipping great! And here I thought that I was a badass. Well, there's no point in complaining about it now. I'll just have to hope that luck will be on my side this time," I said while continuing on my way. The minute I started running again, I sensed another presence nearby. I assumed it to be an unseated officer and pushed it aside, but they continued to follow. _'Their Spiritual Pressure feels familiar,' _I thought to myself. Thinking this to be true, I sped up and waited for their response. Instead of hearing rushed footsteps, there were twinkling sounds, like stardust being sprinkled over the area.

I forced myself to stop by stomping my foot into the ground and spun around. I was then knocked over by a life squeezing hug and a comically weeping tween. A soft smile formed as I rubbed Bobo's sandy haired head, glad to see that she was alright and out of harm's way.

"Alex! I'm so sorry that I ran away! I didn't mean for my feelings to get the best of me! I just thought that you wanted to be alone and not be bothered by anyone after the little fight you and Ichigo had! I didn't mean to make you worry about me! I missed you so much!" Bobo carried on about saying that it was her fault that we were separated and couldn't find each other.

I soothed the little star child by cooing her, gently telling her that it wasn't her fault. "Botania, it's okay. To be honest, I was more concerned about your safety than being mad at you. All that matters now is that you're alright and back with me again. But I am curious as to how you kept yourself hidden from the Soul Reapers. Did you actually end up fighting them?" I asked with both eyebrows raised.

Bobo stopped crying before wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. Her sniffling didn't seize, but at least it was for joy. "Yeah, I did. When I'm in my true form, I'm much stronger than I was before. And while I was sneaking around the Seireitei trying to find you or the others, I picked up information about one of their captains being murdered. But when I went near the corpse, something was off about it. What's going on, Alex?"

"Well," I started while standing and setting her down, "the man you heard about being 'murdered' is actually still alive and well. Thing is: he isn't their ally and never was. In truth, he is a traitor of the Soul Society. I'm sure you know of his name by now, right?"

Bobo nodded. "Captain Sosuke Aizen, isn't it?"

"Yep, that's bastard's name alright." I motioned for her to follow as I jumped on the roof and broke out into a run again, my arms dangling loosely behind me as I ran. Bobo flew in suit as she waited for me to go on. "I can't help the other Soul Reapers realize his true nature, but I can at least save two of them from his blade, especially the one that was hurt the most by his murder."

"How are you gonna do that?" she asked.

I didn't answer her at first, but I soon spilt my plans into the light. "I have absolutely no idea."

"What! What do you mean you have no idea? What kind of plan is _that_?" Bobo shouted, flailing her arms around angrily. A tick mark grew on her temple as I watched her.

A sweat drop rolled down the side of my head as I smiled sheepishly. "Well, excuse me for not coming up with a well thought-out plan! I was too focused about saving Momo that I forgot to strategize. I guess I'll just have to wing it –."

"Wing it? Are you mad, woman!? You'll be killed if you do something as reckless as winging it!"

"Hey, hey, hey, since when did you become Mini Rukia?" I flatly asked with a slightly irritated face.

"Since the day you became more like Ichigo," she simply replied.

Hold the friggin' phone. "Whoa, you can back that up! I am nowhere near like that Perverted Strawberry!"

"I sense that your in denial~."

"Oh, shut up! You, Yoruichi and my Zanpakuto can just go somewhere!"

"Teruko? Is that you?" a soft voice belonging to a young woman had caused me to slip and fall off the roof. A few shackles fell on me as I tried to stand. "Are you okay, Teruko!?" She ran to me and checked for any signs of injuries while helped me up.

"Uh, yeah, I'm alright." I rubbed my sore back and dusted myself off. "Thanks for your concern, but I have to . . ." The words left my mind as I got a better look at the one who helped me. "Wait, aren't you . . . Mihane?" I asked dumbly.

Mihane smiled brightly and clapped her hands in joy. "Yes! I'm a little surprised that you remembered me after our first time meeting each other a few days ago. Wow, time flies! By the way, why were you in such a hurry?"

"Well, I was just . . ."

"And why are you accompanying a Ryoka? Shouldn't you be turning her in with the other three?"

'_By the 'other three', I'm gonna take my chances and guess that she means Ganju, Chad, and Uryu.' _"Well, you see, I . . ."

"Is there something you've been hiding, Teruko?"

Bobo had floated down beside me, poking my side to tell me that we needed to get a move on. Mihane saw this and cocked her head to the side, confused about what was going on.

I sighed while slouching my shoulders and explained everything to her. Once I was finished, she seemed even more baffled than before. Swirls spun over her tousled hair as a few strands were out of place here and there. "So, your real name is Alexandria Rosewood, and you're a part of the Ryoka invasion?"

"Yes."

"And, you think that Captain Aizen's murder was staged?"

"Uh-huh."

"And you believe that the real Captain Aizen is in Central 46? And that he's actually fooled us all this entire time?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

Mihane groggily made her way to a wall and slid down, leaning against it as she sat down. "I don't believe this . . . How can he do such a thing? Captain Aizen is a –."

"Two-face traitor, a bastard, and becomes the number one enemy of all in the Soul Society. Yep, that's basically the gist of it," I deadpanned, crouching down near Mihane's level. "But don't get yourself so worked up about it. Right now, I want you to hurry back home and don't come out until everything is over."

She sat up with a curious look in her eyes. "But, why? What will happen if I don't?"

I straightened up and placed a hand on my hip. "You'll get caught up in a few nasty fights that you're better off not witnessing. I don't want to see you get hurt when all you did was be a loyal sixth seated officer. You deserve a bit of rest, anyways." I outstretched my hand and helped her on feet. "Go on home, Mihane. And remember: don't come back out until you know that it's over."

Mihane nodded with a small smile. "Okay, Alexandria. Thank you very much for concerning about safety. And good luck!" she bowed before using Flash Step to hurry back to the Squad Sixth barracks.

"Who was that?" Bobo asked, flying near my face.

" . . . Just a new friend of mine," I answered with a soft smile.

* * *

I honestly thought that it took us _hours _to find our way around these damned streets. Were we even close to Central 46? _'I doubt it, especially since Bobo is leading the way,' _I thought sourly as I comically glared at the happy-go-lucky tween. "Bobo, do you even now where we are?"

"Um . . . Of course I do! We're . . . I think we're near that hill you were talking about earlier," Bobo said with a thoughtful finger on her cheek. "I forget."

"You **what**?!" Things were about to get ugly pretty soon if I didn't control my temper. "What do you mean you 'forgot'? Why are you taking the lead, anyway?"

"I don't know. Why did you let me? You know I'm bad with directions."

"The hell I did not know that!" If she and Yachiru ever met, the Soul Society would definitely be screwed. "Forget it! I'll take the lead." I leaped in front of her and picked up the pace. Already, I had sensed Renji's Spiritual Pressure from his fight with Byakuya, and Ichigo's as he saved Rukia. By now, Renji must be escaping with her, and the rematch with Ichigo and Byakuya had ended. Remnants of their battle still lingered over Sokyoku Hill. Orihime and the others should be there with him, along with Yachiru and . . . Yeah, let's just stick with Maki Maki.

Up ahead, I felt two more Spiritual Pressures going southward while we went eastward. _'That must be Toshiro and Rangiku, which means that Momo is trailing behind them undercover. Now I really have to hurry it up!'_ I increased my speed to the point where it could be somewhat close to Yachiru's without using Flash Step. After following the captain and lieutenant, Bobo and I had finally reached Central 46. We stayed behind and hid ourselves from their view, hiding our Spiritual Pressures in the process. Toshiro had sliced through the defense system of the seal and entered with Rangiku. Bobo turned to me for the 'OK'. I nodded rushed through the broken door with her flying close behind near the same speed.

As before, we waited for them and hid once more. It's true that she was a master at Kido, but after learning a thing or two from Tessai, I noticed a tiny slip Momo made and found her. Believe me; it wasn't easy, but I managed. Once Toshiro and Rangiku chased after Izuru, I headed inside the room of corpses covered in their own dried up blood. I scanned the room and indeed found all 46 members of Central 46 dead. My blood boiled as an image of Aizen came to mind. My hand twitched as it wanted to strangle the living daylights out of him. I would surely keep Momo from getting hurt by that bastard.

Bobo had flew near me and tugged at my Hakama shorts. "Um, Alex? I think we have company . . ."

I didn't react to the fact that Momo spotted us. My face had anger and hatred etched into its features as my brows knitted toward the other, a straight line being the lips I usually use for smiles.

"What . . . What happened here?" Momo said in a shaky voice. She too was shocked by the deaths of those in Central 46. She mumbled to herself about what she knew and what she just saw. It's obvious that she's confused and only wants justice for the murder of her captain. But everything she heard and witnessed a few seconds ago only made things more complicated for her fragile mind. She then turned to me and Bobo, not once bearing a gleam of suspicion in her eyes. "You two, aren't you the Ryoka? Tell me, are you the ones who really . . . ?"

I crossed my arms while closing my eyes, barely bowing my head. "Neither us nor your friend Toshiro were the ones responsible for killing Aizen or the members of Central 46, so I suggest you stop thinking that it was his doing just because it was in a letter." I had to be careful not to insult the bastard in front of Momo, or she might just breakdown.

"What? But . . . Wait a minute. How do you know about Captain Aizen's letter? When could you have read if –?"

"I didn't read any of it. As for knowing about it, I have my sources. Anyway, there's something I need to tell you about, Momo. You probably won't like it, but it's the truth . . ." As I trailed off, my voice got softer and quieter. Even if it may break her heart to know the sad truth, she didn't deserve to live a blissful lie anymore. She needed to be saved from the finger Aizen wrapped around her frail being.

"What do you mean by 'the truth'?" Momo asked stepping forward. She soon stopped at the sound of another's voice and footsteps.

"Welcome, Momo. It's a pleasure seeing you here," Gin said before turning to me and Bobo. "Oh, what a surprise, it's my number one fan! What brings you to Central 46, Ryoka?"

My hands tightened into fists as I stared at the snake near Momo. "Isn't it obvious? I'm here to stop you from hurting Momo, Gin. I already know what you're planning, so don't act coy!"

"Hurt Momo? Why, that's completely out of the question!" He pretended to be offended and gently rested his hand on Momo's shoulder. "I'm only here to show her a little something special, nothing more. How can you accuse me of harming her?"

"Because you sank Rukia's heart in turmoil back at the Senzaikyu, and that is something I will never forgive a person for doing!" I charged at Gin with my Zanpakuto nearly unsheathed when something interrupted my action. I was forced back and away from them, wondering what just happened. Then I saw the reflection of a barrier separating us. "Damn you, Gin! What are you, afraid to fight back?"

Gin chuckled with that thin mouth of his stuck in its usual grin. "Oh no, I could easily take you down. It's just that I have no time to deal with a pest like you. I have more important matters to attend to." Slits taking the place of his eyes came down on Momo. "Come with me." He turned his back to everyone and headed down the stairs, expecting her to follow.

Momo was hesitant at first. That was good; it showed that she didn't exactly trust Gin. It was either that or she was still confused about what she discovered so far. She then took one step forward, but I quickly interjected by banging on the barrier.

"Don't do it, Momo! If you go with him, you'll surely be killed! I know that I'm a Ryoka and could be the one who murdered your captain, but you have to trust me. If you could just hear me out, everything will make more sense." I tried to reason with her, and it almost worked. But Gin told her again to come along with him, making it difficult to decide what she should do. "Momo, please, you have to trust me," I said in a softer tone.

She was silent for a moment. Her hands clutched her chest even tighter as she thought about her final decision. " . . . How do I know that you're not going to fill my head with lies? You and the other Ryoka have caused so much chaos. Why should I trust someone who has hurt so many of our comrades?"

Momo had a point. Even I would have doubted myself. But I didn't, and I would have made sure that she wouldn't either. "I can understand that my friends and I did a number to the Seireitei, but it was to save our friend, Rukia."

Momo's eyes slightly widened at the mention of the capital offender and old friend. "Rukia Kuchiki? You mean she made friends while in the World of the Living?"

"That's right! And her presence alone had made a difference in all of our lives. We never intended on injuring a large number of Soul Reapers. All we wanted to do was to save her from being executed. We didn't have a choice when it came to fighting hundreds of Soul Reapers. None of us wanted to hurt anyone."

"Come now, Momo. Are you going to seriously believe this Ryoka? She could be lying to you right now. We don't know that everything she's telling us is the truth," Gin interrupted.

"Put a sock in it, Fox Boy!" I yelled at him.

" . . . I'll go with you, Captain Ichimaru." Momo left to catch up him. The grin on his pale face made my blood boil to high temperatures. My knuckles turned white, and blood nearly came out from the palms of my hands.

When they were gone, I snapped my head in Bobo's direction. "Bobo, I needed you to break down the barrier, right now. Do whatever you must to do it."

I could tell that she saw how serious I was. It could been seen in my eyes as they hardened with fury. She nodded and went over to it. "But no peeking, okay? What I'm about to do is secret." I complied with her wish and looked away, hoping that she could really do it.

There was a shattering noise coming from behind me, and I spun around to see that the barrier had been completely destroyed. I was in awe at Bobo's abilities. I didn't think that she could actually break such a powerful Kido! "How did you . . .?"

"I just told you. It's a secret. Now go save the Momo girl!" Bobo said, jutting her staff in the direction of the Seijotokyorin, the living quarters of Central 46.

"Right!" I flash stepped to where Momo and Gin was, making it just in time to see the 'reunion' of a captain and his lieutenant. I heard crying from Momo, and then Aizen started saying that he was a fortunate man for having someone like her. He said his first 'thank you', so I wasn't too late. It might hurt Momo a little, but it'll have to do if it means saving her life. Using Flash Step once more, I appeared near Momo as if I were taking cover from the side and quickly pointed my index at her. "Hado No. 1: Sho!"

Just before Aizen could skewer her, Momo was forced out of his grasp and landed on the far end of the room. I flash stepped to her side, kneeling over and protecting her from the traitors standing before us. "W-What's going on?" she asked sitting up. It was probably a semi-good time to tell her about the situation and what I was going to say to her before.

"Do you see now, Momo? I told you that if you came down here, you would've been killed. Aizen isn't really the captain you thought you knew all these years. He deceived you and used your admiration for him to his advantage," I slowly reached for my Zanpakuto as I continued. "He knew that you wouldn't ever suspect anything odd or suspicious, believing everything that he wrote in that letter. I'm sorry that you have to hear this, but Aizen was the one that filled your head with lies." The poor lieutenant trembled with confusion, sadness, and betrayal. She might've still had a hard time soaking it in and believing that it was true.

Momo slowly looked up at her former captain and indeed saw that he longer was the man she knew him to be. Tears were still present on her face, and new ones flowed into the old ones, but this time of the opposite of what she felt earlier. "Captain Aizen . . . is what she saying true? And were you really going to kill me?"

"My, my, you're a smart girl, aren't you?" Aizen said as he smirked at us, me in particular. "I must commend you for figuring it out in such a short period of time. Tell me: what is your name, Ryoka?"

"Screw you!"

"I'm sorry, but that isn't a name. Try again." I could tell he was playing with me, the bastard.

"All you need to know is that I'm a Ryoka," I said as I held up my sword.

Aizen barely narrowed his eyes at me. "Gin, is this the girl you told me about before, the one with the strange spiritual pressure?"

"Now that you mention it, she is. I nearly forgot that one detail. Do you think it could be . . .?"

"No, I don't believe so. It should still be in _her _body." Aizen started toward the entrance and exit of the room, his back facing us. "The Ryoka doesn't seem to be so much of a threat, but just to be sure she doesn't get in our way, kill them both."

"As you wish, Captain Aizen," Gin said as Aizen walked out of the room. "Impale them, Shinzo!"

I dodged his extended blade while taking Momo with me. We ended up where we could see outside of the room. Gin prepared for another attack but paused at the new presence in the area. I looked past him and Aizen only to see Toshiro panting after hurrying to get back. Gin had jumped back to the entrance and stood by his fellow traitor's side. I felt Momo squirm under my grasp as she tried to confirm her thoughts. "It's him alright, Momo, and I think you owe him a huge apology," I said.

Momo looked up at me before slowly nodding her head. She stayed quiet until Toshiro rushed into the room. Geez, talk about fast! The boy scared the hell out of me! "Toshiro!" Momo said in relief to her childhood friend.

"Momo, are you alright?" he asked with sincere concern. "And who is this girl? Is she one of the Ryoka?"

"Yes, but she isn't our enemy anymore," she answered, almost wanting to give a soft smile.

Toshiro was confused. His turquoise eyes landed on me. "Is what she saying the truth, Ryoka?"

" . . . You're actually taller than I thought you'd be." Yeah, I might've zoned out and focused more on his height. And to be honest, he's not that short compared to seeing on him on television.

A sweat drop rolled down on the side of his white hair. "P . . . Pardon?"

"Nevermind," I fanned my hand for him to forget what I said. "And yeah, she speaks the truth. Actually, I just saved her from getting stabbed by the curly haired bastard over there." I pointed at Aizen as he and Gin looked over their shoulders. "If I hadn't have pushed her out the way, she would be lying on the floor dying by now."

I felt the temperature around me drop. That was obviously a bad sign. I understood that Toshiro was angry at the fact that the man they thought to be their ally and friend had attempted to kill his lieutenant, but he didn't have a chance either way. I should inform him of the complete hypnosis he was under before he would do anything rash.

"Okay, I know it sounds bad, but hear me out Toshiro," I said as I stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to me with a death glare in his eyes. I jumped in fright from it but continued, "You should know that if you try to fight him, you'll end up defeated and on the verge of death in seconds."

"And why is that?" he asked through clenched teeth. Now, he was _really_ scaring the hell out of me.

"W-Well," – '_Oh great, he's already got me stuttering!' _– "it's because you're under his Zanpakuto's complete hypnosis. I'll explain later, but let me fight me in your place. I'll have a better chance since I'm not under the control."

At my suggestion, Toshiro began to relax, letting the frosty air lift and dissipate. "I appreciate your help, but fighting against a captain at your level of strength is suicide." I never said he'd agreed to it.

"Oh, come on, Toshiro! I am much stronger than you think!" Did I call him by his first name? Oh well, I'd accept the consequences. It shouldn't be too bad though, right?

"For you, it's _Captain Hitsugaya_! You will not address me by my first name, Ryoka!" he corrected me with a throbbing tick mark.

I comically rolled my eyes at him, crossing my arms in the process. "Whatever. And my name isn't 'Ryoka'. It's Alexandria, but I'd prefer to be called Alex. You can at least remember that much about me." After sheathing my sword, I walked past Toshiro and toward Aizen.

"What do you think you're doing? I already told you that you're no match for –."

"Keep your yap shut and protect Momo, dammit! Got that?!" I jabbed my index finger in his shocked face as I gave him the order. "I'm going to fight their asses no matter what you say! So stop underestimating my abilities!" I simmered down and faced our enemies once more. "I can't guarantee that I'll defeat them, but I'll at least buy them some time . . ." I mumbled more to myself.

While I was unconscious in the underground training room after achieving Bankai, there were more memories that flooded into my mind, but only a little. It was to the point where Aizen had left the Soul Society and after Byakuya told Rukia about her older sister, Hisana. I had finally remembered Aizen's goal, and that was to retrieve the Hogyoku from Rukia's body. '_But what did Gin mean when he said something about my strange Spiritual Pressure? Aizen had said that 'it' was still within Rukia. And by 'it', I'm sure he was talking about the Hogyoku. I'll have to figure that out another time.'_

"So, you plan on fighting us with your bare hands?" Aizen asked, also underestimating my power. "Toshiro was right; you are trying to commit suicide."

"I'm about tired of hearing you people underestimating me!" I launched a supersonic attack that almost had Aizen but missed as he and Gin easily dodged it. I ended up leaving a huge, splintered crater in their place. "Don't think I'm finished yet," I hissed while I sent another powerful kick their way. That time, Gin had absorbed the hit, most likely to see how strong it really was. Let's just say that I felt something crack underneath my foot, and it came from his shoulder area.

Gin pushed me away and soothed his upper arm. "Ouch, that wasn't very nice. You nearly broke my shoulder," he stated with his fox-like grin. "Maybe we did underestimate her, Captain Aizen."

"All the more reason why she needs to be eliminated," he answered flatly. "Why don't I take care of her myself? It'll take less time, and we'll still be able to make it back in time." Aizen stepped forward without taking out his Zanpakuto, for the moment that is. I knew that he'd eventually use it and put me under his hypnosis. I'd just have to be patient and wait.

As Aizen challenged me with no sword, I raised my fists into a fighting stance, readying myself to send more powerful attacks. "What, you're gonna fight me with your bare hands?" I mocked.

"I have no need to raise my sword against a weakling such as you. This petty fight will be over as quickly as it started. But don't worry; you can at least know that you seemed somewhat interesting in my eyes. You should be honored." That smile . . . that damn, mocking smile I would always hate from here on out.

'_Don't let him get to you. He's messing with your head, just like he would do to anyone else.'_ "I think I'll pass and just kick your ass." I shot myself high in the air and outstretched my hands in front of me. "Hado No. 31: Shakkaho!" A blast of red energy was fired at Aizen, but he withstood it and came at from behind using Flash Step. He reached for my collar and held it there while firing a Kido of his own.

"Hado No. 4: Byakurai." Aizen rests his index finger in the center of my back and generated a lightning bolt. Had I not used his arm to flip myself over him, there would have been a painful hole in my body, or I could've ended up dead. "Oh? It seems that I missed by a tad bit."

"Like hell!" I shouted and aimed a kick to his head. He ducked and grabbed my ankle before throwing me into the floorboards below. The landing wasn't soft at all. Regardless of the pain in my back, I jumped back on my feet. "Is that all you got?"

Aizen disappeared from my sight and soon returned with my back facing him. "Just sit still and I will show you what I can do." He raised his palm up to me, nearly confusing me as to what he intended on doing. "Bakudo No. 63: Sajo Sabaku." After closing his palm, he called forth yellow energy in the form of thick ropes that would soon bondage my arms. What did you expect? Of course I would know these spells. Tessai _was _my teacher after all.

Anyway, to get away from the ropes, I dashed out of the way continuously until it unfortunately snaked itself around my torso. I was restrained from using my arms and struggled to break free. I realized that brute force wouldn't do much good, but I had to try at the very least. Either that or get someone else to break them for me.

"Now, watch closely, Ryoka, as you will seize to exist completely," Aizen said as he inched walked closer to me.

Not to sound dirty or anything, but it felt as though I were in a 'different' kind of situation. "I may not be able to use my arms, but my legs are as free as air," I retorted while flipping away from him and back to where Toshiro and Momo were. "You wanna do your new friend a favor and break this damned kido?"

"Since when did we all of a sudden become friends?" Toshiro mumbled under his breath.

"If you don't get me out of these ropes, I will constantly rant on your height whenever given the opportunity!"

" . . ." Toshiro used a counter Kido to loosen and destroy the ropes, freeing me from its grasp.

"Thank you," I smiled before charging at Aizen again.

I heard him mumble in a defeated tone, "Anything for a friend."

The battle was on equal grounds for at least five minutes. Unfortunately though, while Aizen didn't have a scratch on him, I had a few marks and grazes from the Hado spells he used. He must have seen that I was tougher than expected and decided to finally draw his sword. _'Uh-oh!'_ I flipped backwards and landed a good distance away from Aizen, bowing my head to avoid eye contact.

"Hm? What's the matter? Are you afraid to look at my Zanpakuto? Don't be shy, now," he toyed with me. I still kept my head down, not once getting a peek. "You must have done a good deal of research to know about the true power of my Kyoka Suigetsu. So, I guess now this means that you'll surrender and let me be on my way. If not . . . Well, I think we both know what will happen."

'_I hate it when the enemy is right at times,' _I mumbled in my thoughts. _'I didn't want to do this so early, but since he drew his sword I guess I could too while I'm at it.' _My body had stayed in a crouched position when I landed. I stood up from that pose with my eyes closed shut, reached for one of my bandaged upper arms, and unwrapped the cloth on it before tying it around my eyes. I tightened the knot in the back and then went for Shi e no Setsuka.

"Alexandria, what do you think you're doing? Fighting alone in a battle with a strong captain is one thing, but doing it blindfolded is just madness! A single Ryoka like you isn't capable of doing this!" Toshiro called out. Wow, did everyone act like Rukia here in the Seireitei?

" . . . Madness, huh? I guess my other teacher is beginning to rub off on me." As I took out my sword, I sensed two more Soul Reapers heading our way. _'So the captain and lieutenant of Squad 4 finally made it,' _I thought. Putting that aside, I brought my sword up horizontally and placed my other hand on the blunt side of the blade. "Kiku." It was at first the unnamed ability I used to help me during my Bankai training, but after regaining conscious I soon learned that it did bear a name. It was 'Kiku', which meant listen or hear. This technique was the only one that could be used in Shi e no Setsuka's sealed form. Nothing special would happen, except that a soft chord of a flute would flow into my ears to warm them up for the upcoming sounds of everyone in the room.

"Kiku? Is that one of your Zanpakuto's abilities? If so, could that be how you plan on fighting me, not by sight but by hearing?" Aizen asked.

My lips were kept shut and didn't open to speak any words. He saw this and went ahead to strike first, most likely to observe my movement patterns and to confirm his theory. My body wouldn't budge an inch, because I did not allow it. I waited for the right time to counter and listened for any sounds. A violin played as he rushed at me. Just as he would nearly slice my arm off, I swung my sword and blocked his attack, causing sparks to fly off from the impact of our Zanpakuto. They were held there before Aizen decided to fall back.

"So, I am right, aren't I?" Once again, he didn't receive a response from me. "Why so quiet? Are you angry with me because I already figured out your method of fighting?" I bet he had on his infamous, mocking smile.

"No, I just sincerely loathe you," I simply replied. Whether he noticed it or not, the sound of his foot inching forward gave me the chance to speedily run over to him and swing my sword down on him. Aizen pushed it away with Kyoka Suigetsu before jabbing the tip of forward, aiming it at my center. I immediately reacted by using his arm for balance and hiked myself up to avoid it.

"My, you have such an agile body," Aizen commented.

As a way to thank him for the compliment, I brought my feet down one after the other on his shoulder. In response, Aizen grabbed the first ankle, holding me in a seemingly uncomfortable position for anyone else that wasn't flexible. My grip on his arm tightened to make sure he wouldn't be able to use his Zanpakuto.

"Honestly, do you really believe that will stop me from attacking you?"

"Did I ever say that it was for that exact purpose?" I retorted with a question. Before he could react, I swiftly sent my free foot into the other arm by twisting my body around in his grasp. The kick was packed with plenty of force, which caused even Aizen to release his hold on me. I performed a few back flips as I carefully and safely landed near Toshiro and Momo. I felt a quick jolt of pain in the ankle Aizen held and realized that it was twisted. It wasn't so bad, I hoped, but I couldn't let it slow me down.

"You are indeed a frightening and strong girl, Ryoka. It seems that you've nearly broken my shoulder with that last attack. With such powerful strength, I think you can do much more than that if you wanted to."

"Why don't I show you right now?!" I yelled while charging forward. This battle was going on for too long. I needed to end it quickly so that I may get back to Bobo and help the others. I gripped the hilt of my sword with both hands and did a low sweep at his mid-section. He used Flash Step to dodge and countered by attacking my back. Hearing this, I blocked it. I leaned down so low that I had to bend one knee and outstretched the other leg before swiftly swinging it toward Aizen's feet to trip him. Once more, he dodged it by jumping over head. I let out a battle cry as I ran at my opponent with my Zanpakuto ready to pierce his chest. Unfortunately, I was careless and left my back and sides wide open, allowing Gin to use Shinzo. I barely avoided being a Shish Kebob had Toshiro not have warned me. Even so, I received an injury on my side when I tried to dodge it by turning around. I cried out in pain as I fell back on the platform adjoining to the room Toshiro and Momo were in.

"Alexandria!" Toshiro shouted as he ran to my side. The bandages covering my eyes came loose, so I was able to see him look over my wounds. I cringed from how bad the pain was. "Don't move. It looks terrible, but I think we can take care of it."

"You shouldn't be making promises you can't keep," Aizen said. "Who knows? You might only be telling the Ryoka that so she'll feel safe and won't see it coming when you deliver a fatal blow."

Toshiro gritted his teeth at his former comrade and glared at him. "I'm not a deceiving traitor like you, _Aizen_."

Aizen took one step closer to us, preparing to kill us both. But Momo interrupted him. "Captain Aizen . . . please tell me that you're not really fighting against us." I felt sorry for her. She lost her captain yet a second time and was already on the brink of tears. "Please tell me that what the Ryoka said isn't true."

He continued to mockingly smile. "I'm afraid that everything the Ryoka said is indeed the truth. I thought you would have realized it by now, but I guess your admiration for me is so strong that your frail heart still can't seem to know what is true and is what a lie." Aizen chuckled at the shocked, widened eyes Momo gave him. "Don't act so surprised at what I am telling you, Momo. But go ahead and continue to believe that I am still the man you knew before; it'll make killing you even easier." Momo reached up to hold her head and tried to stop the throbbing in her skull from the pure confusion that continued to grow, along with the internal conflict going on in her head.

Toshiro's temper had gone off as I shivered from the frost emitting off his body and Zanpakuto. Of course. Aizen knew that by playing with Momo's heartstrings, it would set Toshiro off and made him forget about the complete hypnosis he was under. "Toshiro, don't –." But my words didn't make it to him fast enough, because he was already releasing his Zanpakuto's second form.

"Bankai." Ice flowed from his right arm as it encased his torso, creating the head of a dragon on his right hand. Dragon wings protruded from his back, along with a long tail. His other hand was encased in ice as well, taking the shape of a claw. Three purple flowers with four petals formed behind him from the ice and completed the transformation. "Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

Toshiro's Bankai had caused most of the area to be covered in ice. Icy mist lingered around us as I struggled to sit up.

"Hm? It looks like we have visitors," Gin said. Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Kotetsu came rushing through the entrance of the Seijotokyorin. My attention left the angered Toshiro for a split second as I spotted Bobo floating behind the high-leveled Soul Reapers. She must have told them about everything, confirming Unohana's suspicions, and followed them down here.

I heard Toshiro let out a battle cry as he rushed in for the kill. He thrust Hyorinmaru into 'Aizen's' chest, assuming that it was over as his body became engulfed by the ice. "Toshiro, no!" I rushed in front of him in the nick of time to prevent him from receiving a deadly blow. As a repercussion, he and I were forced back a great distance and were sent flying into one of the tall rooms. An explosion was seen from the outside, making the others think that we were possibly dead or seriously injured. _'Thank goodness. I was able to save him . . .' _I thought as I lay in Toshiro's lap, curled up from the impact with my Zanpakuto barely in my hand.

Toshiro fidgeted underneath me and sat up, sitting me up with him. "Alexandria . . . why did you –?"

"The Aizen that you thought you stabbed was only a fake. The real one almost sliced your arm had I not got in the way. He was only infuriating you to make you forget everything I told you before. You were and always will be under Aizen's complete hypnosis until the day he dies," I said solemnly.

Since I was in his lap, he had to look down to face me. His eyes narrowed as he clenched his teeth because of how he let himself be easily angered. He then relaxed while closing his eyes for a moment and reopened them. "Thank you for doing what you did, Alexandria."

I half smiled, "Not a problem. And, if you could, please just call me Alex when you're not serious with me."

"But, I am being serious with you."

"O . . . Oh." My eyes slightly widened at the tone of his voice. Toshiro _was_ usually serious most of the time, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise. "Well, now that that's over, let's hurry back outside before –."

"Watch out!" Bobo yelled, which was followed by a shriek.

"Momo!" Isane cried out.

I stood up too fast, hurt my twisted ankle, and fell back down again. Thankfully, Toshiro helped me by carrying me bridal style and hurried out of the room just in time to see Aizen and Gin depart. I felt his grip on me tighten as he watched Momo fall to her knees from the strong Kido spell that shot into the left side of her upper chest. It would have struck her in the center if Bobo hadn't pushed her out the way. I sighed in relief and reminded myself to thank her whenever I could.

Toshiro set me down before rushing to Momo, seeing that Aizen and Gin had left. My fists tightened subconsciously as I stared at the empty space. _'I need to hurry to Sokyoku Hill. Rukia is still in danger.' _When I brought my attention back onto the fallen lieutenant, I started walking to her, Toshiro, and Bobo. Apparently, Bobo had seen that Aizen was planning to kill Momo anyway and shoved her out of the way. It was the second time she was saved that day.

Once I reached them, I gently sat on my knees and held out my hands over the bleeding hole in Momo's upper right chest. Nokutan Tebukuro appeared on my arms and began to glow a light blue. The hole was nearly closed up, and most of the bleeding stopped.

"How were you able to heal her wound so quickly? Not to mention that it was a deep wound," Toshiro said as he looked at me and then Momo with awe in his eyes.

"I didn't fully heal the wound, though. I still have to –." I paused and winced at the pain coming from my right side and a part of my lower back. My hand shot down to grab it as it continued to bleed. Captain Unohana came over and suddenly began to heal it. "U-Uh . . . Thank you?"

Unohana gently shook her head. "No, we should be the ones thanking you. You risked your life to save two of our comrades, even if we at first saw you as the enemy. Alexandria, is it?"

"Y . . . Yes ma'am." I was just glad that she didn't use her gentle yet frightening tone with me. _'Let's hope it stays that way for a while.' _"But, may I ask why you are healing me?"

"To repay a portion of my gratitude. Also, you're friend told my lieutenant and I about everything we needed to know. For instance, the fact that Aizen was indeed deceiving all captains, lieutenants, seated and unseated officers in the Seireitei." She turned her head to face her lieutenant. "Isane, find the location of the traitors immediately. And afterwards, tell all captains and lieutenants of what we just learned of Sosuke Aizen. Also, make sure to inform the other Ryoka as well."

"Right," Isane said and quickly got on it.

While she did that, I gently pushed Unohana's hands away and stood on my feet. My ankle was still hurting a little, but I would withstand it. "Alexandria, where are you going? I haven't finished healing your wounds."

"That's alright. If there isn't much blood flow, then it's fine by me." As I walked to the exit, Bobo flew straight into my back to stop me from leaving. "Dammit, Bobo! Are you crazy? You could've cracked my spine in two!"

"But I don't want you to go! And if you're going, then I'm leaving with you!" she cried while comical tears flowed down her face like two rivers.

I relaxed before sighing and detaching her from my waist. I carried her back to Unohana and set her down next to her. "Unohana, if you can, could you please watch over Bobo and make sure that she's safe?"

"No! I'm not staying!"

"Bobo," Unohana started, "why don't you listen to your friend and stay here with me?" She used her gentile yet frightening tone on Bobo. Sure enough, she was convinced and obediently seated herself beside Unohana.

"Okay," Bobo said in a fast and scared voice.

My mouth twitched at how well the captain could persuade people with fear. Before heading out, I bowed respectively and thanked her and Toshiro for their help. I flash stepped out of Central 46 and back out into the bright light shining down on the Seireitei. Isane had already found the location of Aizen and informed the other captains and lieutenants of what they just learned. My friends would have been notified of this as well.

Which reminds me . . . my locket had reacted to the sudden takeover of Ichigo's inner Hollow during his fight with Byakuya. A black light with a crimson outline emitted from the spade, and it went berserk. I had to press down on it to handle it. The light dwindled as Ichigo regained control again, and it soon went away. I wondered what would have happened if I myself let my inner Hollow take control. No, I shouldn't be thinking like that. Right now, I had to focus on reaching Sokyoku Hill before Rukia would be . . . I didn't even want to think about it.

On my way there, I felt a twinge in my chest. At first I couldn't understand what it was. But then I realized that Ichigo must have . . . "Damn you, Aizen!" I growled with venom filled in my voice. A few explosions were then seen after a short while, followed by the use of Hado No. 90. There had to be a faster way to get to the Sokyoku in time. I was still much too far away. _'Wait a minute, that's it!' _I unsheathed my Zanpakuto and released it. "Conduct their deaths, Shi e no Setsuka. Prestissimo!" The ribbons changed into its respective red color, and I was then given the power of immense speed and strength. Before the first period would run out, I immediately arrived on the top of the execution site. Using my foot to project my body in the air, I brought my scythe down to where Aizen was standing.

Of course, he had escaped without a scratch. A large crater three times my size was left behind as the rocks stood up from the impact. My green eyes glared at the smiling former captain of Squad 5, wanting to dearly crush him. Rukia was being held by Gin while Aizen had taken care of Captain Komomura. The grip on my scythe's staff tightened as I shot myself at him. It was a nice, swift motion, but I nearly lost my hold on her collar. Nonetheless, I backed away from the traitors with Rukia by my side. She was shocked that I was actually here to save her as well. Either that or the Bunny hair tie had caught her attention. "You know, it seems like every time I see you, you're always trying to kill someone that means everything to other people. But I won't allow you to come anywhere near Rukia!"

Aizen gently bowed his head, and I could've sworn that his smile grew. "Gin, I believe I owe you an apology. It seems that your theory was actually correct," he said while slowly approaching us.

I raised a baffled brow as I took another protective step closer to Rukia. She, as usual, didn't want me to protect her and asked that I run. "You don't have to do this, Alex. Just please run now before you end up like Ichigo and Renji. I don't want to have another person to be badly hurt because of me!"

"It's okay, Rukia. I'm not going to get hurt. Ichigo isn't the only one that had gotten stronger," I said reassuringly to her, but Aizen interrupted.

"You still believe that Rukia is the one I am after? Did you not hear what I just said a second ago, Ryoka?" Aizen almost reached us as he continued to explain. "My subordinate, Gin, was right about you. Your Spiritual Pressure had indeed felt somewhat strange when I first met you. He had told me about it after I closed the gates, but I had doubted the questions that came up in mind. However, when I fought with you in the Seijotokyorin, I realized that the theory seemed possible. So, I asked myself, 'What if the foreign object I am seeking is now inside of the Ryoka girl instead of Rukia?'"

My body . . . I couldn't move it. Everything was frozen in place. My lips wouldn't form the words I wanted to say, but even my thoughts were muddled from what Aizen had said. Just what was he getting at, anyway?

Aizen chuckled as he took one last step and stopped right before my paralyzed body. "Yes . . . I now believe that you do hold what I seek. But don't worry. It won't stay in you for long," he said, mockingly smiling at me.

* * *

_**A/N: Hello, readers! I just wanted to quickly tell you about the poll on my profile. It asks if you would want me to add anime-only arcs or to just stick with the canon. The poll will be up for two more weeks, so start voting if you haven't! **_

_**Ciao!**_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

_The Hogyoku is . . . inside me?' _Even saying it in my head sounded ridiculous and unreal. But, now that I think about it, there were times when I couldn't understand how something happened, like when my memories all of a sudden came back to me. Not all of them, but a certain amount. _'But, how can this be?' _ I thought. _'There is absolutely no way that it could have ended up in my body and out of Rukia's. When did this even happen?'_

"I'm sure that by now, you're wondering how the foreign object was placed in your body. Well, truth be told, I'm wondering that myself," Aizen said. His mocking yet deadly stare never came off of me and Rukia. "But, anything is possible when dealing with an object as powerful and dangerous as this. It could be because it found you more powerful than Rukia Kuchiki, or someone else must have done something themselves. Whatever the reason for the transfer, it still doesn't change my goal."

Before Aizen could take me by the collar, Uryu and the others had arrived. Unfortunately, they were stopped by Gin. Orihime and Uryu then fell to their knees by the immense Spiritual Pressure that spewed out of the former captain. During that time, I too had dropped to my knees, losing all feeling in my now limp body. I couldn't move a single muscle. Why was it that I somehow lost the ability to stand or even move a finger? It could have been Aizen's Spiritual Pressure, or it could have been the Hogyoku, if it really were inside of me. I needed to know so that I could . . . _'What _can _I do? I can't move. Hell, I can't even speak!' _I wouldn't even blame luck like I usually did. I allowed Aizen to take me as his prisoner, limply following him like a rag doll or a puppet. The worst thing about it all was that neither Ichigo nor our friends could do anything to stop him.

While being dragged by Aizen, he began to explain his original plain, mostly about eliminating Central 46 and using his Kyoka Suigetsu to make it seem that they were still alive and holding meetings. I didn't remember when, but Shi e no Setsuka had already been dismissed and was no longer in my hands. I must have been really weak and powerless, and only after hearing that a powerful invention was within me the entire time. Aizen had stopped, and so did I as a dead and trembling look was in my eyes. He took a small, cylindrical object from his robes and released a clear gas that caused green spikes to surround us. Red lightning traveled through their pointed tips and formed a circle like it was a ceremony of some sort. My heart was beating a thousand miles per second, frightened that I was to be impaled in the chest by a hand.

A million thoughts flooded my mind as everything felt as if time slowed down. What if the Hogyoku really wasn't inside me and was still in Rukia? Would Aizen's back-up plan be wasted on a mere human like me? But what if I did have it? Would it explain the headaches and memory restoration?

Suddenly, said pain had stricken my head. It was the worst of them all. However, as I experienced the excruciating pain, information had entered my brain. You could say that it was possibly my memories returning to me, but it wasn't. I had only regained my knowledge of certain beings and objects, like the Bounts, Arrancar, Espada, Adjuchas, Visored, and the Hogyoku. The rest such as battles are still unknown to me. And before I knew it, a green, scaly arm was thrust in my center. I felt a strange form of pain, but there was no sign of blood. A hole or opening was made as Aizen took out the Hogyoku in its dormant state. I was left to fall to the ground with my head lowered and my eyes staring at the dangling locket I wore with lifeless eyes.

A loud ringing then came and blocked out any sounds around me. Nothing happened for a short period, but I was soon picked up by Aizen one last time and was ordered to be killed by Gin. I allowed it to happen because I had no power or strength to release his grip on me. But I didn't feel the extended blade as I watched Rukia use herself as a shield to protect me. She must have had an adrenaline rush if she was able to have enough strength to make it in time to save me. Byakuya, though, had saved the both of us by taking the hit himself, even with his present wounds. It was odd how things were slowed down at first and then sped up, making everything seem like it all happened in an instant. It was the last thing I thought as I went into a state of unconsciousness.

* * *

I had another dream. It was much like the other one. But this time, I was alone. I wore the same dress, the same mask, the same hairstyle. The only thing different was that I could actually leave the ballroom and explore my home. Unexpectedly, the minute I stepped outside of the enormous room, I was sent to another location or building. Even if I didn't have a clue as to where I was, it didn't hurt to look around and see if there was anything I recognized. So, I set out for anything or anyone that could be somewhere in there.

The first thing I noticed were the white walls that continued on and on without a single painting or drapery in sight. There were windows up high that let in only moonlight, for the time of day was evening again. I was disappointed when I couldn't find any stars in the black sky outside. They would always bring out the moon's light and make the night even brighter. Anyway, I couldn't find or sense a speck of life, or even find a single Soul Reaper or Hollow. "You know, I would have appreciated some kind of company in this empty place," I quietly mumbled under my breath as I walked on.

_N__othing_ was here. Seriously, what kind of dream was this? All I did was walk around, searching for people who probably weren't there to begin with. I mean, really. Couldn't there have been a –?

"Hey, girl, aren't you supposed to be in your room with that chick?" a male voice rudely said to me.

Finally! At that point, I didn't care who or what showed up. I only wanted some action! But when I turned around, I kind of wanted the silent emptiness again. "You have got to be kidding me."

Standing there with his hands stuffed in his white hakama pockets was the sixth Espada of Aizen's future army. His cyan blue eyes stared at my green ones with boredom as his matching short hair had a few strands sticking out in front of them. The mask fragment of a jawbone on his right cheek always scared me a little every time I saw it, for I thought it would form the rest of it on his face and devour my soul. Yeah, I actually thought that about him. Aside from the frightening mask fragment, there were a few features that made me either relaxed or flustered. For instance, the white ragged jacket with an upturned collar was opened to reveal his muscular chest. It also revealed the Hollow hole on his abdomen. I was snapped out of my thoughts by a sudden close up of his chest. I looked up and jumped as I realized that he had walked up to me without my knowing of it. "I asked you a damn question. Why the hell are you out of your room?" he repeated himself.

"Well, I . . ." I started, but soon trailed off when I realized another thing. _'What room is he talking about?' _"I . . . I was looking for the library and got lost." Hey, it was a start.

Grimmjow's expression never changed as he stared down at me. Damn him for being six to seven inches taller than me. Seriously, why the hell did they have to make him 6' 1"?! "Either way, you're not allowed to leave your room. So, I suggest you get your ass in gear, _now_."

"Excuse you," I said. Okay, maybe it wasn't the best thing to do when dealing with a lethally, short-tempered brute. But hey, it was a dream . . . I hoped. "What gives you the right to tell me where I should and shouldn't be? I'll walk around this boring as hell place if I want to!" I waved my arms around indicating toward the bland hallways.

"You got a lot of nerve saying that to someone who can easily rip your damn head off," he deadpanned threateningly. He took a step forward, which nearly made me jump back in fright. But since he was rude to me the entire time, I returned his threat by mirroring him with my hands on my hips instead.

"Rip my head off? You probably couldn't even pluck a single hair! Besides, what makes you think you can order me around and threaten me if I don't do as you say? You're not my master!" I retorted with my head leaned upwards. '_Stupid tall ass Grimmjow,' _I angrily thought.

I saw his body stiffen at the mention of 'master'. It surprised me when he also straightened up and walked around me, leaving me there confused and all. "Whatever. Get lost and die alone for all I care."

My eyes blinked after him, wondering what just happened. His figure was diminishing more and more as the distance between us grew. Honestly, I didn't want to be alone again, even if it meant hanging around with an impulsive Espada. I hurried after Grimmjow but suddenly fell after tripping over my dress. _'It isn't that long, though. So why would it . . .?'_

I propped my torso up as I looked over my body. Apparently, my clothes had changed to a dress similar to Orihime's when she went to Las Noches. The only thing different was that mine had a small opening for my cleavage in the shape of an upside down heart; my upper back was revealed, and my neck was covered along with my collar bone. Part of the sleeves covering Orihime's wrists and hands were on mine as well, except that they were more like long gloves that stopped at the middle of my biceps, leaving my shoulders bare. The shoes were the same, and my hair fell a little past my shoulders as a part of it was pinned down with a hair clip bearing small bunnies on the edges. _'Wait, shouldn't that be at home with the others?' _Yeah, Rukia had gotten me more than one hair accessory for my birthday. But that's not the point. Why was I wearing something similar to the Arrancar? Unless, I was in . . . _'Oh, that makes a lot more sense.'_

"What the hell are you doing on the floor? I thought I told you to get your ass back in your room." Grimmjow noticed me on the floor and hoisted me over his shoulder as if I were just a sack of potatoes. "Man, you're a nuisance already, and it hasn't even been a damn minute!"

I blushed automatically while being carried over the shoulder. I flailed my legs and arms, demanding that I'd be put down. "I'm not some damsel in distress, dammit! I can walk on my own two legs!"

"Shut your mouth before I knock you out, girl," he spat at me, not once looking over his other shoulder as he walked ahead.

"Can everyone learn my damn name?! It's Alex! Not girl, not Ryoka, Alex! A-L-E-X!" I shouted at no one in particular. I really was tired of people not calling me by my name. I had one for a reason, so use it!

The more I fussed at him, the more the vein on his temple throbbed with irritation. Having enough of my complaining, Grimmjow grabbed me by the shoulders and slammed me into a nearby wall, scaring the living daylights out of me. "Will you shut your Garganta mouth? I've had enough of your damn whining!"

I stared at him with a blank, comical expression, blinking at least once or twice before saying, "My mouth isn't _that _big."

"Oh, I beg to differ," he growled through gritted teeth. Surprisingly, and once again unexpectedly, he relaxed. Sure, he could be a laidback kind of person at first glance, but once you get him riled up, there's no stopping him. So, why has he been acting different around me? " . . . Why did you come here?"

His question threw me off. I couldn't even answer that because I didn't even know how I got here myself. "What?" I asked.

"That red haired girl, weren't you trying to save her? You used the Garganta to sneak into Hueco Mundo with her. Ulquiorra spotted you and brought you to Aizen, and now you're our prisoner," Grimmjow explained.

How long was I out of it?! Did I really miss that much? "Well, to be honest, I can't really answer that." I received a raised brow in response, but he waited for me to continue. "For starters, I don't even remember going through a Garganta, just a double door from a ballroom in my house. And another thing: why am I in this semi-provocative dress?!" A tick mark grew on my head as I looked down on my attire. "I mean, seriously, I was better off with the dress I had on before! Whose dumb idea was it to have me put into something like this? It isn't even my style to have my back or a part of my cleavage showing! I'm not some hooker, you know!"

Grimmjow stepped back and allowed me to breathe, because with him so close to me, I had to hold a breath that I never intended on holding. "If it's about some stupid dress, why don't you ask the "high and mighty" Aizen? He's the one who gave both of you your uniforms," he said while staring off to the side.

I growled and clenched my teeth in a comical manner. "That bastard is _really _getting on my nerves now." I began marching off to who knows where with steam blowing out of my nostrils. Before I could go any farther, Grimmjow took me by the waist and hoisted me back over his shoulder, again. I yelped at first and started on my rant. "What gives? I told you that this wasn't necessary!"

"I don't give a damn about what you think is necessary or not. I don't know if you realized this or not, but you don't know where the hell you're going. So, if you want to stay alive and out of any other Espada's way, I suggest you keep quiet and don't whine. Got it, girl?"

"For the last time, **my name is Alex, dammit!**" If possible, my name would have echoed and traveled throughout the halls of Las Noches. Ignoring my yells, Grimmjow resumed his walk with me on his shoulder. I sighed at that and allowed him to take me to wherever he planned on heading. Who knows? Maybe he might lead me to the exit or something.

Around seven to eight minutes had passed before I asked him just where he was taking me. He didn't answer me at first and kept walking. Then I tried again two minutes later as he went up a flight of stairs. It was pretty dark and small in there. I almost started to panic. But when I felt that I was still wearing my locket, Ichigo came to mind, and my nerves were calm again.

Finally, we had made it to the canopy of Las Noches. You could see everything from up there. Well, if a whole bunch of sand actually counted as something. Even so, there was still the crescent moon shining its lunar light onto all of Hueco Mundo. Grimmjow set me down, turned me around, and took something that was for some reason on my back. I spun on my heel and saw a small chip in his hand before it was crushed into millions of bits. "Was that on my –?"

"It's something Aizen used to restrain you from using any form of power you have, including your own physical strength," he explained.

'_Oh, now I see.'_ So everything he did was so that we could fight. It was such a typical thing coming from a brute like Grimmjow. I crossed my arms over my chest while looking away. "If that was your intention, then where is my Zanpakuto? Or would you rather want a fight with our bare hands?"

"I never said anything about fighting you," he stated.

This man hadn't ceased to surprise me. Ever since he stopped me in the halls, he's been nothing _but_ himself. Well, for the most part he's acted like his unpredictable, brutal yet laidback self, but now he's getting . . . weird. "Okay . . . then can you tell me why you took that off of me and why it was there in the first place?"

"Either you bumped your head when you tripped, or I smashed you against the wall too hard, because your memory is pretty crappy right now."

"Look here, _boy_," I mocked, since I was of course referred to as 'girl' the entire time, "I don't know what your deal is with me, but all I want to know is where my friends are and why I'm in Hueco Mundo and not the Soul Society or even the World of the Living! And what is up with you acting strange around me? I kind of expected you to snap my head off by now like the killing and fighting machine you are!"

There it was again: that uncomfortable look in his light blue eyes, along with a stiffened body. Was he trying to hide something from me? If so, what was it? But I never really got an answer from him, only the brush of a shoulder as he started on his way back inside. I wouldn't let him ignore me a second time and shot my hand at his collar to take hold of it. I guess I didn't know my own strength, because when I yanked Grimmjow back, he nearly tripped over his feet. He looked over his shoulder with sincere, surprised eyes. It was priceless.

"Now look, I don't know what's been going on with you lately, but I'm done. My patience has left the building, and I'm beginning to wonder if you're doing this on purpose just to piss me off! Why are you acting so strange around me, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez?!" I shouted with frustration written all over my face and outlined all over my tone of voice. I never knew that I could get _this _ticked off. Maybe it was because I didn't like it when I couldn't interpret a person's actions and attitude on my own. And when I call someone by their full name, you know you're screwed.

Regardless of my temper going out of control, Grimmjow blinked once and returned to his laidback persona. He gently removed my hand from his collar and kept it in his loose grasp. I began to wonder what he would do next and waited, which I sometimes loathed when dealing with a person that could be unpredictable. "I didn't ask to feel this way," Grimmjow said with sincerity, his voice being the softest I ever imagined it to be.

But what did that mean? I wanted to ask him that, but I was beginning to lose consciousness again as I saw black spots in my vision. I started to sway and stagger before falling into Grimmjow's arms. His eyes stared down on me as I looked up at him with my own. My lips parted to ask my question. Unfortunately, words never came out as my eyes began to slowly close. The weird thing about being in a brute's arms was that it felt welcoming and warm. But . . . why did it feel warm? None of my questions were answered when the dream ended, and I was back on Sokyoku Hill.

* * *

There were Squad 4 members all over the place, frantically tending to the injured Captains and Lieutenant. I couldn't see it, but I could hear it. Not by my Kiku, but by my own hearing. The reason why I wasn't able to look around was because of the massive headache I still was experiencing. The extraction of the Hogyoku was probably still affecting me greatly. I was glad that Kisuke's method didn't leave any permanent damage on my body. He would have surely gotten the beating of his life if it did. Speaking of my body, it seemed that I haven't received any other wounds other than the ones Aizen gave me back at Central 46.

"Alex! Thank goodness you're okay!" I heard a worried voice say. My eyes tried to find the source and managed to find Orihime healing someone while on the brink of tears.

I gave her a weak smile. "Orihime, don't start getting emotional on me, now. You're stronger than that," I said.

She sniffled a few times and tried to stay calm. I could tell that she wasn't doing so well on that. "I know. B-But, when I saw that you went unconscious after being stabbed in the chest, I-I thought that you were . . ."

"Well, I'm still alive and kicking, so there's no need for you to be sad and worried. Okay, Orihime?" She nodded at me but still continued to sniffle and force back her tears of both relief and worry. She was such a great friend, always looking out for everyone and hoping that they were alive.

"Hey . . . Knucklehead," I forced my head to turn and see that it was Ichigo being tended to by Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka. "You know, you really had us worried about you, acting reckless like that."

"Reckless? I wouldn't call saving Rukia "reckless". Besides, I'm not the one who nearly gotten himself cut in half," I retorted. After hearing silence from Ichigo, I felt a little scared about what he would say next.

But only a soft half-smile was seen on his lightly tanned face. "True, but I'm not the one who was a human kebab."

I rolled my eyes at him in response. "Okay, so we can both agree that we weren't thinking straight and ended up acting reckless ourselves."

"Alex!" a child screamed, causing me to force myself to sit up. I was probably better off lying down, because a flying Bobo had tackled me right into my injured mid-section. "Alex, I'm so glad that you're not dead! I was so worried that you wouldn't have made it out alive against Aizen and . . . Alex?"

By the time Bobo had realized it, I was already on the verge of death from her suffocating hug. She loosened up her grip, and I was welcomed with sweet air that I never thought I would miss so dearly. "You really need to learn how to give a light hug! I nearly died because of your squeeze of death!"

"Oops, I'm sorry," Bobo sheepishly apologized with a lopsided smile while rubbing the back of her neck. "I'll be sure to remind myself the next time I want to hug someone."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously at her. "Uh-huh, _sure _you will."

"I . . . Is that Botania?!" Uryu yelled while jutting his index finger at the grown up tween. "Isn't she supposed to be a child?"

"Yeah, we thought the same thing, too, but I guess she was telling the truth when she said she wasn't in her true form," Ganju said, patting Uryu on the shoulder to ease his confusion.

"Wow! You're all grown up, Bobo! You look like you're around 13 years old in human years!" Orihime interjected in her usual bubbly tone.

"She's right," Chad stated. "By the way, didn't you say that you would tell us about your people?"

Bobo wagged a finger at Chad. "Sorry, no can do!"

"What do you mean "no can do"? You said that when we entered the Seireitei, you would tell us everything about you and your people!" I shouted in protest, a little disappointed and ticked off that she wouldn't tell us. I was getting curious myself as to who she was and how she was able to do all of this.

"Well, I changed my mind. And besides, you guys need some well-deserved rest. Today really has been a long day for everyone," she said while crossing her legs and sitting down mid-air.

We all sighed at our silly Star Child friend. She was right, though. Our mission to save Rukia was complete. Now, it was time to start the next one, which was to defeat Aizen. I wondered how training would be like, especially with Kisuke and Yoruichi. I stared up at the sun setting sky with a calm expression. I didn't smile, nor did I frown. I only stared at the sky with one thing in mind at the moment. _'This was probably one of the best summer vacations I ever had, and also the craziest and most frightening.'_

* * *

A long, relaxed sigh left my lips as I stretched out my arms. I had just come back from a spa and was completely rejuvenated. My muscles weren't as sore as yesterday, and my wounds had been healed thanks to Orihime. Even so, we were all still recovering a little, but not to the point where we couldn't even walk around. Well, except for Momo and Byakuya, and maybe a few others that I wasn't aware of. Apparently, Momo's greatest wound was actually mental, not physical. Unohana suggested that she get plenty of rest before being allowed to move around so much. It could have been from the trauma or betrayal of her former captain. Whichever one it was, I hoped that she would feel better soon.

"Hey! Alex, wait up!" someone called after me. I paused in mid-step and turned, only to smile and return a greeting wave to Mihane.

"Hey, Mihane!" I called back and waited for her to catch up. Once she did, we sort of caught up on things concerning Aizen's grand exit, along with the other two traitors of the Soul Society, and other things about Rukia or how everyone else was doing. She was told about her captain's injuries and paid him a short visit and brought him some flowers. "That was sweet of you to do, Mihane."

"I was going to drop another batch off to Ms. Rukia, but I couldn't find her in her room," she said, confused as to where the petite Kuchiki went.

I figured that Rukia had left for the Rukon District to Kukaku's house to apologize about Kaien's death. Ichigo and Orihime would eventually find her there, but I decided to stay put and hang with my new friend. It was about time that I was able to do a few things on my own without needing to follow the plot. "Really? That's strange. I'm sure that she's fine, though. Hey, do you want to get something to eat? I'm getting a little hungry," I asked while patting my grumbling stomach in a playful manner.

Mihane giggled at my silliness and nodded in agreement. "I am, too. I know this nice place that we can go to. I have enough to pay for us both, so you don't have to worry about it."

"That's a relief, because I honestly have no type of money to buy anything here in the Soul Society," I laughed. This was nice, hanging out with someone that made you feel relaxed and happy, especially since that person wasn't as crazy or chaotic as a few certain others.

Mihane and I went to the place and enjoyed a filling meal. The food in the Seireitei was delicious! I would have to find a way to return there sometime soon. But, of course, there was school and everything. Oh well, I still had my friends in Karakura Town. Nonetheless, I would always remember my friends here in the Soul Society. It wouldn't be the last time we would see each other, that's for sure.

After Mihane and I said our goodbyes, since I would be leaving back home tomorrow, we went our separate ways. It was getting dark out. The stars already came out, along with the bright moon I never ceased to love. I had my hands folded behind my head as I walked through the streets of the Seireitei. Strolling around a big city like this at night was really soothing my mind. It was also a great opportunity to think about a few things troubling me, such as the dream I had about Grimmjow. _'What was up with that, anyway? Sure, Grimmjow is handsome. But again, impulsive brute that threatened to rip my head off. And what did he mean by, "I didn't ask to feel this way"? Was he being told to act strange around me? Or was it that he was given something that made him have feelings for another?' _I mentally groaned to myself in frustration. "Why can't I have dreams that make sense?"

I was kind of expecting someone that I knew from the Seireitei or Karakura to ask me who I was talking to or give me a smart remark. But for the first time in months, I truly was all by myself. Not in a bad way, but a good one. You know, like how a person just needs to be alone every once in a while. _'Wow . . . I never had this happen to me. I guess I should make the best of it before someone or something ruins it.' _And so, I did make the most of my peace and quiet. But there wasn't much that I wanted to do except watch the clouds in the night fallen sky. To do that, I climbed up one of the buildings and rested on its roof while lying down on my back with my hands still folded behind my head. If I could, I would love to have two homes: one in Karakura, and one here in the Soul Society. Minus all the Hollows and lunatic souls, both places were lovely.

"Rukia!" I heard Renji calling for his childhood friend.

I tried to ignore his calls by blocking out any other sounds that wasn't of nature. But that plan failed when Uryu and Kenpachi decided to join in and annoy me to no end. "And there goes my peace and quiet. It was nice while it lasted, though," I said with a soft smile.

* * *

The next day came, and we were all set to leave for home. Before we left, Ichigo and I obtained Substitute Soul Reaper Badges from Captain Ukitake. As he handed it to me, I felt a jolt of excitement within me and nearly squealed on the outside. I couldn't believe that I had my own badge! Things would be a whole lot easier now, especially since Rukia was with Ichigo most of the time, and that Ichigo had Kon to use if she wasn't around. I, for one, had nothing to use and was stuck being myself until I found someone who would help me. Orihime had given Rukia the dress Uryu made for her. Of course, being the romance kind of person she was, she demanded that Rukia accept the gift regardless of her not coming back with us. I shook my head at Orihime.

"Alex," Rukia said, bringing me out of my thoughts. She smiled when she saw me jump a little in slight surprise. "Still as jumpy as ever, I see."

"I'm not _that _jumpy," I mumbled with puffed out cheeks.

She laughed at how silly I was being and remembered seeing the hair-tie she gave me. "You wore my gift the entire time here? I didn't know it meant that much to you," Rukia said.

"Of course it means a lot to me. I got it from an amazing girl who changed all of our lives," I smiled brightly. "And don't worry; I'll be sure to wear the other accessories whenever I get the chance to. I'm still a little hesitant on wearing my hair down, though."

Rukia nodded, knowing that I wasn't the type of girl that liked certain feminine things at times. We then shortly talked about how much I'd improve on my Kido before Ukitake explained to us about the official Senkaimon gate. A few of us said our goodbyes and started toward the glowing opening. It wouldn't have taken a bit longer had I not had to tear a crying Bobo from Rukia's waist. Rukia had patted her gently on her bunny hat, telling her that they would meet again soon and that she shouldn't shed tears. It worked, and we were all set to return home. Of course, we couldn't leave without Rukia saying "thank you" to our Ichigo.

* * *

"What the hell, Yoruichi!" Ichigo yelled at the top of his lungs as we all ran for our dear lives. Our old friend, The Cleaner, had yet again made an appearance. I guess it wouldn't have been a true farewell without it. "If this is the official gate, then why do we have to run for our lives through it just like the last time?"

"We each need a Hell Butterfly to clear the gates safely. Only Soul Reapers can handle them. Relax; we're almost to the exit!" Yoruichi said.

Well, we made it. Problem: we were all afloat in the air for at least three dramatic seconds before gravity took effect. Ururu had saved us by firing something at us to catch everyone, and Jinta, or really Tessai, had finished the job making it into a flying carpet ride. This had kind of felt like Aladdin, if you asked me.

After Urahara apologized to Ichigo about the Hogyoku thing and keeping it a secret, also receiving an elbow to the nose courtesy of Ichigo, we were all dropped off one by one. The first was Uryu, and it went down the line with Orihime and then Chad. Bobo, Ichigo, and I were the only ones left. I saw that my house was still pretty far away, so I decided that I would use Flash Step and save time. But to tell the truth, I wouldn't have complained about staying on the ride for a bit longer. No, not because of Ichigo! It was because of the view I had of Karakura. The city lights, the homes, the few people that were out at this hour. My chest began to flutter at the excitement of being this high up. I was still in disbelief that this town was my home now, and that I had the powers of a Soul Reaper. And best of all, I had amazing and hilarious friends like Orihime, Tatsuki, Chad, Uryu, Keigo, Mizuiro, Rukia, and finally, Ichigo.

I sighed before standing up. "Even though this isn't my stop, I'll be getting off here," I said. "I'll be seeing you, Kisuke, Yoruichi. And I'll see you later, Ichigo!" I said my goodbyes with a two finger salute and jumped off of the flying transportation. I heard them all return the goodbye as they flew away in the night. I landed on a telephone pole with Bobo floating by my side. Realizing that this was the same pole Rukia stood upon in the beginning of the very first episode, a smile broke across my face as my head shook at the memory. "The view up here really is nice . . ."

"Hm?" Bobo asked, feeling a little confused as to what I was talking about. "Are you talking to yourself again? If you keep doing that, I'll have to think that you went crazy on me."

I shot a comical glare at Bobo, seeing that she was now in her child form once again. "Don't ruin the moment! Come on," I started before facing the direction of my house, "let's just head on home so I can get some sleep for school tomorrow."

Leaping off of the telephone pole, I fell and landed on a rooftop before starting my many Flash Steps to my house. Bobo flew behind me, almost at the same speed while giggling. On the way there, I saw Ichigo stop before his house after running there as well. There was a split second where we both smirked at each other as we faced the other at the same exact moment. It was kind of like those freeze frames or slow motion scenes. As I reached the gates of my house, that same image replayed in my head again, causing me to shake my head.

It was good to be back home. But, it obviously wasn't going to end then and there just like that. We all had a long ways ahead of us. As long as I had my friends by my side, it would be alright. My locket glowed faintly, and it tickled my insides a little. I laughed as I thought about Ichigo and our friends. Honestly, I never thought that I could actually make a difference during my time here. But I guess I could, and I did.

"I have a feeling that I'm going to enjoy this," I said while staring up at the night sky.

* * *

**_The chapter had to end here because of the poll still being up. You guys still have three days before it goes down, so go ahead and do some last minute voting! _**

**_Ciao!_**


	28. Chapter 28

_**Hello there, everyone! I'm not dead! And I know that I am **_**WAY _late on this update, but I have a reason. I couldn't figure out where to start! But, I managed. So, _**

**_Happy Reading!_**

**_I don't own Bleach or its plot and characters._**

* * *

**Chapter 28**

My eyes opened to find myself in my inner world filled with a meadow of Creeping Myrtles. I must have been dreaming, since I didn't see a reason as to why Shi e no Setsuka would need to bring me here. As I sat up from a lain down position, I noticed that I was wearing my Shihakusho, yet I didn't feel my Zanpakuto on my back where it usually was. It made sense though, since I _was _in my inner world. But then again, Ichigo had Zangetsu while in his inner world. Whatever the reason for my being there, I stood up and looked around, hoping to find any sign of Shi e no Setsuka.

Once I saw that looking for her wouldn't be enough, I called out for her. Sadly, there were no replies. _'What the heck is going on here?'_ I thought rather impatiently as I continued to venture through the meadows. On a random side note, I wondered why inner worlds' environments never made sense. For instance, Ichigo's inner world allowed those within it the ability to defy gravity and let them stand in uncommon places as if it were normal, such as standing on the sides of buildings without falling. For me, I had to deal with a field of Creeping Myrtles with no trees or anything in sight. I mean, seriously. Couldn't I have had something more exciting inner world than this? Not to be a whiner, but come on!

After a long while, I realized that it was useless to keep searching for anyone else there. So, I decided to sit back down into the comforting bed of flowers swaying with the wind. I thought this to be the most boring yet relaxing dream ever. Couldn't there be more ac –? "I'm not falling for _that _again," I mumbled, stopping myself before allowing history to repeat itself.

Unfortunately, soon after I spoke, I heard a quiet sound almost related to that of laughter. But it wasn't that of joy or innocent playfulness. It was more maniacal and such of that matter. I immediately bolted up from my spot on the flower bed and searched for the source of the laughter. "Who's there?" I demanded in a strong, bold tone.

I received nothing but the rustle of the flowers around me. In response, I repeated myself once more, but this time with more sternness and authority. "Show yourself!"

"Alright, alright, quit nagging me, Your '_Majesty_'," the unknown voice said as they revealed themselves in the form of a shadowed figure.

Turning around, I found that same figure and tried to see who it could've been. Unfortunately, they were too far away for me to make out their appearance. "Who are you, anyway?"

They chuckled as their response before slowly walking toward me. "Who am I? That's a good question." Their voice sounded strangely familiar. Did I know this person?

"Just answer me, dammit!" I had no patience when it came to people who gave out riddles and hints and whatnot.

"Hold your horse, Queen. What's the rush?" There were clouds forming everywhere in the bleak yet relaxing sky above, which was why the person's identity was hidden. But as they approached me, I started to see a girl, possibly a young woman. Was it Shi e no Setsuka messing with me?

"I'll be asking the damn questions here! Now who are you?" I asked again, hoping that she picked up on the irritation outlining my tone.

"Sorry, Queen, but I don't have a name," she simply answered in a calm tone. This was beginning to get a little weird now.

As the clouds went away and truly revealed the girl's appearance, I nearly went into a state of pure shock. But to be honest, I had actually known that this would happen. In fact, it was inevitable. Before me stood an exact replica of myself, save for the opposite colors of our hair, clothing, skin, and eyes. Even our hairstyles were the same, which was a high ponytail with a few strands hanging on either side of our face. I guess it must've have been my inner Hollow's doing that I was there in the first place. _'Great, now I have to deal with a blood-thirsty, sadistic maniac who wants to destroy and kill everyone I care about,' _I groaned mentally. I prepared myself and went into a fighting stance. "So, I'm guessing you're the one who brought me here. Are you looking for a chance to take control of my body?" I spat at her.

She blinked her yellow eyes with slight confusion, though her face expression had said otherwise. "Take control?" she repeated with her echoed voice. "I'm not stupid enough to believe that I can take control of your body."

It was my turn to blink in confusion. Was she serious? Or was it just a trick? "You're kidding, right?"

"Of course."

I wanted to desperately go off on her for being a smartass. "Well, isn't _that_ a shocker?"

"Aw, don't give me that look. You should be happy that I'm not trying to kill you right now." My inner Hollow began to stalk around me in a circle as if I was her prey and she were my predator. "Actually, you should be thanking _her _for placing restrictions on me. If it weren't for your precious Zanpakuto, you would be dead and gone by now."

I would surely thank Shi e no Setsuka for that the next time I saw her. "If that's the case, why I am here? What reason do you have for wanting to speak with me?"

"Isn't it obvious? I wanted to give you a little heads up. You'll be seeing more of me soon enough, so I suggest that you don't let your guard down, Queen." She then chuckled maniacally as she stared down at me, dying to cut me down into pieces and tear my body limb from limb. It was the typical plan for nearly all Hollows, so this didn't surprise me. My inner Hollow sensed something and stared up at the bleak, cloudy sky above us. "Damn... I guess that's all the time we have to converse with each other." She brought her attention back down on me, narrowing her eyes only slightly. "The next time we see each other, don't expect a simple "hello" from me."

Before I could ask her what she meant, my vision began to blur. Dark spots appeared and blocked everything in sight. My legs turned into lead and forced me to collapse into the comforting, Creeping Myrtles.

* * *

I jolted out of my bed at the sound of my alarm going off. The tiny bells continued to ring until I shut it off. My body almost seemed like it was trembling from the slight fear I had felt. The dream was so... Well, the encounter actually, was so strange and a little frightening. I thought that my inner Hollow really could've killed me on the spot had it not been for Shi e no Setsuka. For that, I should be grateful, and I was. I then shook my head to push that all in the back of my mind for the moment. I needed to get ready for my first day back after all.

After getting up and making up my bed, I went into my bathroom to fully wake myself up by splashing water on my still tired face. The cold water did its part, and I stood before my bathroom mirror to stare at the girl in the reflection. Her hair seemed a bit longer but still reached a little past her shoulders. Since it wasn't in a ponytail, it was free but messy. She wore a red, short sleeve shirt that fit her nicely. The sleepwear was complete with a pair of black shorts stopping right above her knees, if seen at an angle. I sighed while looking at myself. "While I am a Substitute Soul Reaper, I still appear to be like any other girl my age..."

What happened in the next instant had frightened me every time I would remember it. My reflection in the mirror flickered between myself and my inner Hollow. There was laughter ringing in my ears, one filled with pure insanity. It caused me to jump back and fall in the bathtub. My breathing quickened but was soon calmed down. I never knew that wanting to be a part of this world would mean going through this...

Once I composed myself, I got dressed in our school's summer uniform, which was a white buttoned-up shirt with a red bow and a gray skirt. Long black socks were on my feet as they went up past my knees. I grabbed everything I needed from my room and left to eat breakfast downstairs. I was greeted by Botania and Rosa, our maid, before digging in to the eggs and bacon set on the dining table.

I still couldn't believe that Bobo could walk about our house now without needing to hide herself. It all happened when we returned from the Soul Society. Once I finally went to sleep, Bobo decided to have a midnight snack and got herself caught by Rosa. She woke me up and asked for an explanation, so I simply told her that she didn't have anywhere else to go and allowed her to stay here for the time being. She bought it, as well as my parents, and they all welcomed her in our home, saying that she could stay for as long as she wanted, giving her her own bedroom and everything. So, I guess you could say that she was basically a part of our family now. Anyway, after I finished eating, I said goodbye to everyone still there and headed to Karakura High, since my mom was out running errands and my dad had to attend an early meeting.

As I was passing by Ichigo's house, I heard crashing sounds and fighting going on inside. I sighed while shaking my head. _'Nothing really has changed, has it?'_ I thought.

* * *

Ichigo and I ended up walking to school together that morning. We didn't really talk about much, so it was silent the whole way, even upon entering through the school gates. That is, until Keigo greeted Ichigo just like he usually did, which of course cost him a smack in the face by Ichigo's toned arm. Damn. He really did gain a few muscles during our stay in the Soul Society.

Everything else from there was pretty normal, save for the close call of Orihime nearly spilling the beans about where we really went during our vacation. Class started when Ms. Ochi entered the room and asked for everyone to take their seats and pass up the summer assignments. I nearly forgot to because I was thinking about my encounter with _her_. Luckily, Ichigo snapped me out of it. Thank goodness his desk was on the right of mine.

Out of nowhere, someone started calling out for Ichigo. We all found the voice to be too familiar and looked out the windows only to find Renji wearing some hippie-related outfit. Ichigo took care of it in a rather comical manner, and Ms. Ochi resumed class and began explaining a problem on the board. I zoned out again, but this time I thought about all that happened to us.

It was amazing how a bunch of teenagers could experience and go through so much in such a short amount of time when it felt like it was longer. I then looked down at my closed hand with distant green eyes. I thought about all the battles I've fought and the things I've done, or at least the people I saved. Who knew that someone who once watched everything from the sidelines had ended up getting in the game herself? I honestly never imagined myself to bear such strength and power. And yet... I didn't believe that I had done enough.

No, it's not that I wanted more power just for the heck of it. It's because I wanted to be able to help my friends out as much as I could. And if I wanted to do that, then I needed to train and become stronger, or at least strengthen the abilities that I had then. I mentally chuckled to myself, mostly because I was almost thinking like my friends.

Something started beeping on my side. I was broken out of my thoughts and saw that it was my Combat Pass going off. Those who could sense and see the Hollow had turned to watch as it approached the school. Most of us wondered why it was taking Ichigo and Renji so long to defeat a measly Hollow. I wanted to do something about it, but it would have been too late by the time I excused myself from class and got out of my body. We had to make it seem like nothing was wrong, but that was when the grotesque beast climbed over the high fence separating itself from the school building. Its body shadowed over the entire classroom, causing Orihime to reach for her hairpins to activate her Shun Shun Rikka. In the nick of time though, Ichigo was able to defeat it. Once again, the actions caused Orihime to abruptly stand from her seat and congratulate Ichigo on his win. I sweat dropped at how she didn't think before doing what she did as Ms. Ochi wondered what she was doing. In response, Orihime laughed, which then made everyone else join in to steer away from the question asked.

After that whole scene, school continued like normal up until it was time for lunch. Orihime came over to me, asking if I was ready to go and join the others. But, I gently shook my head while standing with my bento box. "I actually want to eat lunch alone for today, if that's okay with you."

She seemed a little disappointed and confused when I said that. Nonetheless, she smiled brightly and nodded. "Sure! But whenever you want to join us, you know where to find us," she cheerfully said.

I smiled softly and returned the nod. "Alright, I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Later, Orihime," I said while sending her a short wave. I left our classroom and went to an empty one that was directly above ours.

I found myself sitting in front of the windows, staring out at the world beyond them. My feet barely hovered above the floor as I sat on top of a desk. The strands of hair that wasn't in a ponytail occasionally tickled by face with every slight fidget I made. Not once did I reach for the lunch packed in my bento box. The whole time I was in the room, I thought about the memories I regained thanks to the Hogyoku. Speaking of, I still couldn't figure out how it even ended up within me in the first place. Something must have happened in order for it to have transferred from Rukia to me. But the question is: who had done it and why, or how? Aside from that, why is it that I wasn't able to gain other important information like battles and other events? Well, I guessed that was something I could manage on my own, if I remembered hard enough.

A sigh was forced out as I slightly bowed my head forward. The action led to me spotting the silver spade dangling from my neck. A memory of me on Sokyoku Hill flashed in my mind. I remembered seeing Ichigo all cut up and seriously injured. It was like someone punched me in the chest so hard that my own blood would come out. I felt this way every time someone I cared about was severely hurt. But when it was Ichigo, the feeling I had was... "I don't like him," I comically mumbled to myself with my cheeks puffed out.

"What?" I heard someone say.

When I turned around, it was Orihime that was standing at the door. "Orihime, what are you doing here? I thought you were eating lunch with Tatsuki and them?"

"Well, I was, but then she, Ichigo, and even Uryu was wondering if something was wrong. I was thinking the same thing, so I volunteered to come and find you," she explained.

I blinked in genuine shock. "You guys were worried about me?" I asked.

"Of course! Why wouldn't we be?" Orihime walked over to me and found a desk to sit on herself. "So, is something wrong?"

I wanted to tell her about the encounter with my inner Hollow, but it would probably be best to tell Ichigo instead. And then I wanted to talk to her about how I felt that I could've been a better help than I was in the Soul Society. Yeah, that would be a good thing to start off with. But... "It's nothing," I ended up saying.

Orihime just stared at me with her gray eyes. It was as if she looked into my own green ones, maybe even deeper, and saw that I was indeed lying. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? You can always come to me if you ever need someone to talk to, you know?"

When I heard her say that, something inside of me just..."Actually... there _is_ something that's been bothering me."

"What is it?"

"Well, it could be just the fact that I thought I could do more while in the Soul Society, but maybe it's something else. I don't know," I said while looking out the window again.

Orihime took a moment to think about her reply. Silence had lingered over us as we sat there in the vacant room. She then spoke up and said, "It's okay if you feel that way, Alex. I'm feeling that way, too."

Of course Orihime felt the same way. I never forgot that she felt useless while trying to save Rukia. But she wasn't useless. She had actually helped out a great deal. Had it not been for her and her Shun Shun Rikka, not many of us would've been able to return home in one piece, or maybe even be able to save Rukia at all. And that was exactly what I told her. "Orihime, even if you may think that you're weak or that your powers aren't strong enough compared to others, you can't let that stop you from doing what you want to do. Some people may have said that you weren't strong enough to do certain things, but you proved them wrong. Never sell yourself short, Orihime. That will only hurt you and those around you."

What I said had made Orihime smile so bright that the sun would be envious of her. I knew that I had gotten to her, and that I had helped her realized that strength isn't everything, especially physical. Instead of saying anything in reply, she gave me a thankful bear hug. I was nearly caught off guard, but I hugged her back with a little pat on her innocent head. "Thank you so much. I really needed to hear that," she said after pulling away. "I still want to become stronger, but now I won't worry about doing so just because I feel useless. It'll only be to strengthen my powers in order to continue doing what I do best."

"That's the spirit, Orihime!" I cheered her on with a fist pumped in the air in a silly manner. We both laughed and decided to head back outside where our friends were eating.

* * *

The afternoon bell rang, and all students who didn't have anything else to do at school left to go home. I for one had to visit a certain inventor though, so I said my goodbyes to Ichigo and the others before heading there. Once reaching the Urahara Shop, I saw Jinta and Ururu sweeping in the front.

"Hello, Miss Alex," Ururu greeted as she stopped doing her chore. "Do you need to see Mr. Urahara?"

"Yes. Where is he?" I asked.

"He's actually been waiting for you in the living room," Jinta answered. I was actually a little surprised when he didn't bully Ururu about anything that time. "Go right ahead."

"Thank you," I nodded before entering through the Shoji doors. Another set of them opened to where Jinta said Kisuke was, revealing the one that opened them to be the man I was looking for.

"Welcome, Miss Alex. Are you in need of some goods?" he asked with his usual, goofy smile. Honestly, I would never understand him.

I walked toward and past him and found a seat near the brown coffee table in the center of the room. "That and I need you to do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?" he asked as he took his seat at the table. He then opened his fan and placed it over his mouth.

"First, I need you to make a weapon for me, a dagger to be exact."

"A dagger?"

"Yes, a dagger. I want it to be just a regular one with no special powers whatsoever. However, I do want it to serve as a sort of tool or medium for spirit energy. You know, kind of like a gun that needs ammunition," I specified.

Kisuke had said nothing at first, thinking about whether or not it was possibly or if he had the right equipment to make it. "May I ask why you need this dagger? Just out of curiosity," he said.

I sighed with slight irritation outlining it, "Let me worry about that. But, just know that it'll be of help as a secondary weapon."

"Hm... Well, alright. I'll see what I can do. Give me about three or four days, and it should be ready by then, if not then sooner." He closed his fan and was about to stand before turning to me again. "Anything else?" he added.

I wondered if I should really ask for such a thing. Wouldn't it mess with the plot or something? _'Well, I kind of already accomplished a change in plot when I save Momo from physical injuries and ended up being the one bearing the Hogyoku inside of my body the entire time, or at least most of the time.' _"...Is it possible that I can have a Mod Soul of my own?'

The shop owner blinked in surprise at my question. I would have been, too. "You want your own Mod Soul? Why? Not that I'm saying you can't, but I'm just curious."

That was when the bottled up, comical anger came out. "For starters, you owe me big time! Don't forget that I was affected greatly with the Hogyoku somehow being inside of me! Second, I deserve to have my own Mod Soul, or at least a Gikongan! I can't just leave my body lying around, especially at night! Do you have any idea what could happened? Besides, Ichigo has his own, so why can't I have one?!" I believed that my rant was over, so I sat back down and composed myself again.

The whole while, Kisuke had been listening and watching with a comical straight face. It seemed a little surprised, but it was overall straight and unchanged. "Well... I can see why you may need it if there ever comes a time when a situation like that may occur. Alright, I'll try to see what I can do about the Mod Soul."

I smiled innocently and nodded my head. "Thank you. I'll come back tomorrow or the next day to see if either item is ready."

I left the Urahara Shop and went straight home, feeling as tired as ever. Once I entered my home, Rosa said "good evening" before going back to her job. She told me that my mom was in the library and that my dad was in the kitchen. I nodded and headed upstairs to my room, plopping down on my bed the second I got near it. I was so happy to finally relax without worrying about any Hollows.

* * *

During the middle of the night, I sensed a presence present around where Orihime lived. I figured it to the Mod Souls Kisuke recently created in order to train us in some kind of way. Being the tired, lazy person I was, I decided not to take part in this, for that night only though. What was the point if Orihime would be fine and unharmed? As long as nothing threatening would happen, I saw no reason to go through so much trouble just to get to her place and find out that it was too late. So, I went back to back to my blissful dreams.

* * *

The next morning, I was already waiting outside Ichigo's place. There weren't many crashes or noises that indicated a brawl between him and his dad, so I figured that Ichigo was probably sulking about Orihime's "disappearance". I wanted to tell him the truth, but this needed to happen on its own. Plus, that would once again blow my cover, and I needed to be more careful with my actions and what I said from then on.

I heard Ichigo's gate open from the side and watched as said boy walked out with his bag being held over his shoulder by the strap. I gave a half smile and said, "Morning, Ichigo!"

"Morning," he replied rather flatly, not once meeting my gaze directly. He continued walking the path to school, not caring whether or not I would follow.

Picking up on this, I hurried after him and slowed down once reaching his side. "Ichigo, is something the matter? What's gotten into you?" I asked with a furrowed brow. He had never acted like this with his friends before, right? Well, not that I knew of.

He didn't answer me at first or probably ignored my questions of concern. It wasn't until we were half way there that he stopped and said, "You wanna tell me why you weren't there when Orihime was in trouble?"

So, that was why. I kind of didn't expect it to happen, so I was taken aback by his question. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I'm talking about," he sharply said while snapping his head at me. "Where the hell were you when the rest of us sensed something at Orihime's!? You could've helped us save her!"

I heard his voice rise an octave higher with each word shot at me. It sent a slight pain in my chest as I heard the disappointment and anger in his tone. Had my decision to not do anything pissed him off that much? If I knew how he would've reacted, I would've done something. "I understand that you may be mad at me, but you shouldn't let that tip you off. Shouldn't you be more focused on figuring out where she is and who was responsible for her disappearance instead of getting angry at me?!"

Ichigo's eyes hardened as they narrowed down at me. "...Fine," his eyes then suddenly softened when they finally looked into mine, "Just...don't brush something like this off again, alright? You should always be there for your friends, you know."

I, too, had relaxed and nodded with a gentle smile, "I will; don't worry. I guess I was still tired from the whole Soul Society fiasco and got a little too lax. I'll be sure that I don't let it happen again."

"Good," he sighed. "Sorry about yelling at you just now. I guess I'm just still pissed off that something terrible could happen to Orihime."

"It's okay, Ichigo. We'll find her before anything of that happens," I comforted as we began walking toward school again. I had wondered what made his anger fade from his fiery eyes. Maybe I would find out sooner or later.

* * *

Well, after running a certain amount of miles and answering a few phone calls, I, Ichigo, Uryu, Renji, and Chad ended up getting our last phone call at the Urahara Shop. While there, we discussed a few strategies and plans, all coming down to going back to Orihime's house to meet up with her possible kidnappers. Before we left, Kisuke stopped us.

"By the way, Alex, I was able to finish your requested item much earlier than expected. However, I wasn't able to find or create a Mod Soul for you. Is that alright?"

I beamed with joy, even if I couldn't possess a Mod Soul of my own. "Yeah, that's just fine. Could I please have the dagger?"

"Of course, one second, please," he said before disappearing to the back of the shop.

"Wait, why do you need a dagger? You have a Zanpakuto," Ichigo asked the question everyone else thought.

I turned to them and explained, "Well, it's just in case I find myself in a situation where I can't turn into a Soul Reaper and am faced with a spiritual being with a considerable amount of strength. You can never be too careful, Ichigo."

"But how will you hide such a weapon if you are to wear your school uniform?" Uryu asked as he adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Simple: I wear high socks that go up to my thighs, so I'll hide it in there. The handle won't be seen because my skirt will cover it up."

Ichigo seemed impressed at my plan. "You must've thought this through, huh?"

I smirked with a quiet chuckle. "Of course, that wouldn't be smart if I didn't."

"Alright, here's one, 10 inch bladed dagger for Miss Alex," Kisuke announced as he entered the room.

He handed me the dagger while it was sheathed in its black scabbard. As I held it, I felt the smoothness of the scabbard and examined it, finding majestic designs compressed along the center. The hilt appeared to be similar to silver wings turned upward near the edges. The handle was black and coiled all the way up to the gem-like tip. To see how it looked, I unsheathed it and saw my reflection in a silver blade with sharp edges on both sides, as well as a pointed tip. "Whoa..." was my only reply.

Ichigo and the others had leaned in to see the blade and were just as amazed as I was. Well, except for Ichigo. "What's the big deal? Aren't you just gonna end up throwing it and possibly lose it?"

A tick mark throbbed on my head as the ends of my lips twitched in irritation. "Why don't we test it out then to make sure that doesn't happen?"

* * *

As I was walking back home with Ichigo, I noticed how pretty the sky looked with its beautiful, setting sun. The orange hue reminded of... _'This is seriously getting old!' _I shouted to myself. When we reached Ichigo's house first, I stopped him from going inside by grabbing him by the arm. "Before you go, can I ask you something?"

"Um... Sure," he hesitated while seemingly a little worried about the dagger in my possession.

I sighed as I let go, "Don't worry. I'm not going to ask if you can be my practice dummy. It's actually about what happened this morning." At that, I saw him blink in surprise. I continued, "After you had yelled at me, I watched as your eyes hardened with anger. But when I started to reason with you, they softened all of a sudden. What was up with that?"

I could tell that he was fighting the urge to lightly blush. Ichigo faced himself toward his home and said, "Look, I only let it go because I saw that you were right. That's all."

My eyes narrowed slightly while I stared at his back. He was obviously hiding something, so why not just say it? "Ichigo, just tell me why you did what you did and we'll be on each other's way."

Ichigo was quiet for a little while, not yet answering my previous question. Then, he finally spoke, but it was almost inaudible, "It was the way you looked at me..."

"What?"

He spun on his heel and comically yelled in my face, repeating what he mumbled. "I said, "It was the way you looked at me! Damn, are you going deaf?"

"Well, maybe if you weren't always yelling in my friggin' ear, I wouldn't be!" I sharply shot at him in the same manner. Ichigo's words had then sunk in, causing me to flutter my eyes in confusion. "Wait, what do you mean 'the way I looked at you'? How was I looking at you?"

Brown eyes narrowed as they stared at the ground, averting my greens ones. "You had this...hurt look in them. It wasn't that noticeable, but I was still able to see it."

'_Wow... I never knew that had affected him in such a way,' _I thought. A smile broke across my face as I playfully punched him. "Aww, is somebody getting soft?" I teased.

"What? The hell I am not!" he denied while returning to his usual self. He jutted a thumb at his chest while continuing, "There is no way I would ever go soft around such an abusive girl like you! You're even worse than Rukia sometimes!"

"I learned from the best," I said, praising his "compliment". "Anyway, I'll see you later."

Ichigo quickly sighed before sending me a short wave as I started walking away. "Yeah, I'll see at you Orihime's. Remember, 8 o' clock!"

"I know, I know. I won't be late!" I called back, returning the wave.

The walk home was nice and quiet, not a single alert for a Hollow ruining it. It felt great to take a break, though I wasn't the one who actually _had _been taking care of the Hollows. _Anyway_, I had replayed the words Ichigo said to me not too long ago. My legs felt a little slower with each word echoing through my head.

"_It was the way you looked at me... You had this...hurt look in them…"_

I swore that I felt my heart speed up a little. Before the butterflies would escape from their cage, I began beating my chest to calm them down. I guessed I had gotten used to it by now, even though it made me receive a few worried looks from people.

"Aleeeex! Aleeeex!" a little voice cried as I was almost home.

I recognized it to be Botania. I then broke out into a sprint at the sound of distress being heard in her childish calls. Thoughts of worry started to flood my mind as I wondered what could have caused her to come looking for me. _'Was there a Hollow at the house? No, my Combat Pass would've sensed it, as well as myself. Could it be Aizen and his new army?' _I nearly concluded this to be the possible reason, but I quickly dismissed it. _'No, that's not it either. It's too soon for him to make his move. Besides, the Hogyoku still needs time to fully awaken. Then, what the hell could it possibly be?'_

"Aleeeex!" Bobo could now be seen up ahead as she flew toward me. As I slowed down, she flew into me and hugged her fragile arms around my torso, automatically crying afterwards. "A-Alex! I-I was so scared that they would've h-hurt me and Rosa and your mother! They... Th-They..." she tried to force out while hiccuping as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Botania, it's alright now," I cooed to her as I calmed her down. I've never seen her like this, except when we were in the Soul Society. "Just relax and tell me what happened, okay?"

Bobo tried to look up but ended up trying to wipe her tears away with the back of her wrist. She had on the clothes I remembered her wearing that one day, June 17th. It was her gray, short sleeve hooded shirt, black star designed shorts, and her signature boots. I was a little surprised to see her revealed, sandy blonde hair. What happened to her bunny hat? "It was horrible. They were trying to suck us into this weird gate thing! I told your mother and Rosa to run as fast as they could while I went to find you. When I did, the gate disappeared, so I thought that maybe they were after me instead," she explained in a less shaky voice. "But, at least I know that they would be safe from harm."

'_A gate that tried to suck her in? This must be the Mod Souls doing. But why go after her?' _"It's going to be alright, Botania. I promise that I won't let them get you," I smiled down at her to bring comfort.

"O-Okay," she happily replied.

Just then, a series of familiar giggles reached my ears. I knew that laugh anywhere. It was Ririn. Said girl twirled into my view and landed a few yards or more away from us. Her blonde, bob-styled hair reached a little past her chin as she wore a pink, fur-trimmed coat and a black, bird-shaped cape. Her glossy red boots started to inch closer toward us, causing Bobo to hide behind me. "Well, it looks like we found you," her high-pitched voice said. "I'm guessing you're Alex Rosewood, the other Substitute Soul Reaper. Am I right?"

I knew that she was our ally, but the fact that she threatened to hurt Botania made me forget all of that. "What do you what? And how dare you try to take Botania!" My fist clenched into tight balls of white fury. The knuckles nearly turned white because of the tightness.

Noba soon dropped in, more like teleported, and stood by his younger partner. His face was mostly covered by the blue, zippered mask on his head with two red X's and what seemed like two golden buttons in the center on either side. All that could be seen was some of his soft red hair and his aqua blue eyes. With his black and blue outfit bearing two wide belts being held by a single, golden buckle and a pair of blue boots, his appearance was similar to that of a ninja. There was fur adorning his collarbone and elbows. In his deep voice, he said, "Sorry, but that's already been taken care of."

"What the hell do you mean? She's right here!" I shouted. My body nearly trembled with anger and frustration aimed toward the Mod Souls before me. _'Wait... Where is the third one?'_

The sinister laughter going on behind me made me afraid to turn and see who it belonged to. But I already knew fully well that that was nowhere near Botania's playful giggles. This was not her. "Are you sure?" the fake said. The impostor then used Bobo's flying ability and reached up to put me in a choke hold.

"What – the hell have you done – with Botania – you bastards?!" I forced out between gasps of air.

The fake transformed into their original self, which was a bespectacled tall man with black and yellow hair, a thin mustache, and clothing that made him seem somewhat like a magician but with boots and a gray top hat. "Now, now, no need to talk when you have such little air left. But, as for your little friend, we're taking good care of her."

That was what struck my nerves, sending me into a rampage. I let out a battle cry as I ripped his arms off me and flung him into the sky past the other two ahead of me. As he was somersaulting and getting farther away, Noba had saved him by teleporting him to their side.

"Thank you, Noba," Kurodo said.

"Not a problem."

Ignoring the exchange of thanks, I gritted my teeth at them while releasing a low growl. "What. Did. You. Do to her?!"

"We didn't do anything to her," Ririn started. She then provokingly narrowed her eyes with a malicious smirk. "...Yet."

I snapped and reached for my Combat Pass, only to find that it was gone. "What the...?"

"Looking for something?" I looked up to see Kurodo holding it by the rope. "I snatched it while hiding behind you. But I must say that you are a sucker for a crying child."

Getting tired of their talk, I fell for their provocation and unsheathed my new dagger before charging at the Mod Souls rather quickly. Noba had teleported in the nick of time, dodging my swipe at him. I tried swinging at Kurodo, but he leapt in the air and onto a rooftop. Ririn was left, but hurriedly followed suit with her partner right before I sent my foot down on her head. The force I put into the attack had left a small crater in its place. Snapping my head around angrily, I shot death glares at the three, watching as they mocked me. "Give her back, dammit!"

Ririn giggled at my demand. "Sorry, but no can do. You have to play by the rules just like the red head! But, maybe if you go back to your other friend's house, you might just find her and the little one there."

A gate smaller but somewhat similar to that of the Hell Gate appeared behind them as the other two disappeared within it. Before I followed after them, I reminded myself that that wouldn't help, seeing that it would make things worse.

"Remember, 8 o' clock!" Ririn said, mocking Ichigo. "Oh yeah, she left this for you." She threw something green down at me, along with my Combat Pass, before jumping into the gate. It soon dissipated into thin air, leaving me alone in the streets with my dagger still out.

I placed it back in its black scabbard and frantically caught the Pass and the green item. It turned out to be Botania's bunny hat. "Bobo..." I barely whispered with a shaky voice. Dropping to my knees, I held the hat close to my chest as my grip on it tightened. My head lowered, allowing strands of hair to fall forward. "She had nothing to do with this, and yet..."

A warm hand wrapped itself around me. I wanted to snap my head up to see who it was, but the warmth felt familiar and was easily recognized. So, I leaned onto them while clutching Botania's hat. "We'll get her _and _Orihime back, Alex. I promise," Ichigo said.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"Hello, Mr. Kurosaki, Karin, Yuzu," I greeted to each of the Kurosakis, excluding the one standing next to me with a rather annoyed look etched on his features. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Alexandria Rosewood, but you can call me 'Alex'."

After I introduced myself, Isshin gladly took the stretched out hand I offered politely and shook it with a firm grip. It felt as though he was going to snap my arm off if he kept furiously shaking it! "Oh, it's a pleasure to finally meet you! Please, call me Isshin! In fact, just call me 'Daddy'!"

I blinked at him with confusion written on my face. Then I remembered that I was talking to Isshin Kurosaki, a father of three that usually seemed and acted more like a silly, _slightly _perverted young man. It was part of the reason why Ichigo never wanted to invite any of his friends over, especially girls such as myself. "Uh, I think I'll stick with 'Mr. Kurosaki', if that's alright with you."

"No, no, I insist! You never know if one day you'll – ." A black socked foot made contact with the poor man's face. I turned my head to find that it belonged to a nearly ticked off teenage boy. Isshin had it coming, though...

"If you need us, we'll be upstairs," Ichigo said in a casual manner while heading toward the stairs. He acted like he didn't just give his dad a large footprint on his face.

The corners of my lips twitched as they tried to keep the polite smile it formed earlier. It was strange how this sort of thing was normal in this house. I bowed in respect to Yuzu and Karin, along with the fallen Isshin. "It was nice meeting you," I said before hurrying after Ichigo.

"If you're hungry, just come downstairs for dinner, okay?" Yuzu said for the both of us.

"She probably already ate dinner before she got here, Yuzu," Karin deadpanned with her expressionless face. "I'll be more than happy to take her food, though; more for me."

"Karin! It's not nice to treat our guests like that! I'm sure that she'll still want to have some later on, so I'll just put some away for her later..." That was the last I heard of that conversation as I reached the top of the stairs and went into the hallway leading to Ichigo's bedroom. Yuzu truly was such a sweet and kind person. She must have gotten that from her mother...

Upon entering the room, I suddenly felt my legs give way to the emotions I've keep bottled up inside till now and collapsed. "Alex!" I heard Ichigo call out to me, worry and concern outlining his voice.

I guessed that I wasn't entirely over the whole Botania situation just yet. My eyes looked up at the orange haired boy that picked me up from the floor and carefully set me down on his surprisingly comfortably bed. I mean, I never expected it to be the opposite either, but still. "Oh... Sorry about that, Ichigo," I said, forcing a soft smile. "I don't know what happened there. My legs just turned into jelly and..." The reason why I trailed off was because of the look I saw in Ichigo's hard, amber eyes. It was like they looked into my heart and soul and knew the feelings that I tried to keep hidden from everyone else around me. They were also full of understanding, since they, too, knew what it felt like.

"…Man," he finally sighed as he scratched his head and turned around. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you."

A warm chuckle had caused his head to swivel back in my direction, the source obviously being myself. "You sound like you're my mom talking to my dad every time he gets himself hurt from acting stupid around me."

"Whatever." Ichigo stood from his bed with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "I'm gonna go ahead and head downstairs to eat dinner. Whenever you feel like you're hungry, you know where to go." He then started toward his bedroom door but soon stopped in mid-step while looking over his shoulder. "...Never mind."

"Hm?" I wondered what he could've possibly wanted to say as he closed the door behind him. Ichigo never was the type of guy to show his concern for others so easily. It was what made him him.

I tore my eyes away from the empty space that Ichigo once stood in and stared up at the ceiling overhead. _'...All this time, I actually thought that Botania wouldn't get involved in any of this mess. But, I guess I was wrong...'_ Turning my attention to the window on my right, I slowly got up and crawled over to it before opening the tall window, allowing a light breeze to brush against my skin. But that wasn't what I wanted. What I wanted was a better view of the dark bluish sky dotted with twinkling stars that accompanied the perfectly round, palish moon. Leaning my elbows on the windowsill, I was captivated by the stars above, something that I never got tired of. It was then that my eyes came across a peculiar constellation in the sky. I wondered what it might've been and tried to identify it with the knowledge I had about them, but the shape was something I couldn't recognize. Straining my eyes a little more, I thought it to be something similar to a..."You're kidding me, right?" I asked skeptically towards the cartoon rabbit in the sky. "Okay, whoever is pulling the strings..."

Twinkling sounds and such of the sort reached my ear. They were like small bells that continuously jingled without end, a sound that automatically brought a smile upon my once grieving face. At that moment, I knew that a certain child of the Stars was responsible for such an act. And for once, I didn't think about scolding her, if she was there, for forming a new constellation in the sky. That was most likely her way of telling me that she was alright, letting me know that there was no need to worry. Either that, or she knew I was worrying and wanted to lift my spirits and end my sulk. In return for her act of silliness, my lips parted open and sang her favorite lullaby.

By the time I finished the song, I sensed someone else's presence and recognized it to be my host for the night. With a smile on my face, I faced him and asked, "How long have you been standing there?"

Ichigo came out from hiding and stood with his arms folded over his chest and a small smirk on his lips. "Just now, actually," he answered. "So, ya done acting like a wreck?"

He meant for it to be taken as a joke, but I took a little too seriously. However, I decided against speaking my thoughts and held it in. "Yeah, I think so. You know, I don't get how you can deal with this sulking and feeling defeated thing. I was feeling all depressed and everything... But, I'm sure you must've gotten used to it by now..."

Seeing that tick mark grow the same size as his head had nearly made my day. "What the hell does _that _mean? Are you saying that I'm prone to getting depressed or something?"

"I didn't say that. I said that you must've gotten used to it by now, considering how many times you've gone through this," I corrected him, earning an evil glare from the orange haired teen.

In response to my correction, Ichigo flicked me on the head. A small red mark appeared as I said, "Ow! What the hell was that for?!"

"You accused me of being prone to depression!"

My hand, or better yet my fist, made contact with his head, forcing him to grab it in pain. "And I corrected your dumbass-self saying that I didn't!"

A devious glint in his eyes was seen as he slowly approached me. "Uh...Ichigo, what are you doing? ...Ichigo? ...Ichigo, don't you dare!" Before I could react, said boy pounced on me, commencing our little fight.

A cloud of comical smoke covered up the brawl, except for a few flying fists and kicking feet. There were occasional, 'Ow, that hurt, you asshole!' from me and, 'Dammit, you're gonna pay for that!' from Ichigo. The loud commotion was most likely heard from the other three members of the household, making them curious as to what was going on in their son/brother's _bed_room. I expected Isshin and Yuzu to eavesdrop while Karin stood on the sidelines and commented on how ridiculous and messed up they were being. What finally ended our fight was Ichigo yelling at me, saying, "What the hell! You bit me!"

I comically frowned at him while having my arms folded over my chest. "Well, maybe next time you'll think twice before putting your hands on me!"

"You deserved to be taught a lesson! And you didn't have to bite me, dammit – !"

The door was furiously kicked down courtesy of Isshin, a blazing fire seen in his eyes. "What the hell is going on here?" he shouted, obviously not happy to be hearing what he'd heard so far. If only he had been there previous to the fight and actually listened to the entire conversation.

While Isshin was seemingly blazing mad, Ichigo and I stood there like a couple of innocent little kids that had absolutely no idea what was happening. "Uh...Dad?" Ichigo tried to get his father's attention, but he failed as the older man went over to me instead with his hands on either of my shoulders.

"Are you alright, Alex? Did anything happen?!" he asked while shaking me a little.

Merely standing there with a comical and confused face, I answered him and said, "I...guess?"

"Don't worry; Daddy will take care of everything!"

'_Oh, great, just what I needed: another overprotective father.'_

Isshin grabbed his son by the head of orange hair and began scolding him for his 'actions'. "Taking advantage of such a nice and sweet girl...you should know better! I've taught you better than that, son!" Wow, he was actually sounding like a _real _father. "You're always supposed to take it slow with women! Going too fast will make them feel too overwhelmed by it all."

...What?

"What?" was exactly what Ichigo said. "What the hell are you going on about, now?"

"I'm talking about making sure a woman is comfortable when giving her a good time. You gotta always start off slow with a nice – ." Before he could finish his sentence, Isshin was sucker punched out of Ichigo's open window. It was a good thing that I opened it earlier, or else he would have had to deal with a broken window.

"**Ya friggin' pervert! That's **_**not **_**how you're supposed to scold your children!" **Ichigo yelled at his silly father. "What kind of father gives his son tips on how to take advantage of women?!"

"Technically, he was giving you tips on how to make them 'comfortable'," I corrected with a comical, straight face.

"Don't go tryin' to support him!"

Meanwhile, Yuzu ran outside to help her father while Karin stayed and shook her head at her sister and father. "I told them they were getting ahead of themselves about the situation."

"Honestly, can't they ever be normal for one friggin' day?" Ichigo angrily mumbled under his breath.

I simply sighed and decided to sit back down on Ichigo's bed before turning to said boy. "Hey, Ichigo, is it okay if I stay for the night?"

"Yeah, sure," he said, having his usual scowl on his face. "Although, I don't know if you're able to fit in any of my sister's clothes."

An 'innocent' smile broke across my face. "That's alright; I'll just borrow one of your shirts and use the pair of shorts in my bag I always keep with me just in case."

"Wha..." his mouth opened wide for an argument or a question as to why I had those shorts packed in my school bag, but it closed once he realized there was no use for either when dealing with me. "Fine, whatever, I'll go run your bath..." Ichigo left for the bathroom with his pockets stuffed in his pants.

With playfulness heard in my voice, I called after him, saying, "You are such a thoughtful host, Ichigo!"

"Shut up!"

* * *

Eight o' clock was the time Ririn told us to be at Orihime's house. When it seemed like no one in the Kurosaki Clinic paid us any mind, Ichigo and I became Soul Reapers before heading to her place. After seeing the bunny rabbit in the form of a constellation, I was finally able to come back to my senses and realized that everything would be alright and that our friends were nowhere in harm's way. However, it didn't mean that I could relax and seem all nonchalant about the situation or at least any situation from that point on.

Upon reaching the apartment, we saw Renji waiting at the front, already in his Soul Reaper form. Chad and Uryu arrived soon after with the dark haired Quincy asking if there were signs of life inside.

"No, nothing yet," Ichigo answered him. He then noticed that something was different about Uryu. "And by the way, how come you're not wearing that cape of yours?"

Busted. "Well, I, uh... I had to take it to the cleaners." Nice excuse, Uryu; well played.

"Your cape is dry-cleaned only? You're serious?" Chad asked with disbelief, even if he may not have sounded like it.

"Yeah, so? What's wrong with looking good?"

"Uryu, I worry about you sometimes..." I said under my breath but still loud enough for the others to hear.

"Wait, what's _that _supposed to mean?"

Before I could reply, what sounded like electricity going haywire reached our ears as the bright, yellow light accompanying it grabbed all of our attentions to Orihime's window. The boys and I rushed up to her door to check it out but unfortunately found that it was locked again. Uryu offered to pick it once more, but Ichigo insisted that Chad break it down instead since there wasn't much time for that. Right after he asked the muscular teen, the doorknob jiggled. We shifted into our fighting stances in case it was the enemy, but there was no need, for it was Orihime herself that opened the door.

"What's going on, guys?" Orihime wondered as she saw that me, Ichigo, and Renji were Soul Reapers.

"Orihime..." Ichigo said.

"Did she bring you back like she said she would?" asked Chad.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

When Ichigo asked if she was hurt, Orihime was still confused as to what we were talking about. We all then told her what happened, which surprised her even more. It was as if she was never kidnapped to begin with. The boys started interrogating Orihime about anything she remembered from the previous night to help jog her memory. But when she began to tell us, the first thing that I heard her say was 'today' and not 'yesterday'. She told us all that happened on the first day of the semester, but Chad took notice of that and corrected her, telling her that that was yesterday. Renji suggested that they erased her memory, since she did lose a day.

"You think they might have that thing Soul Reapers use when replacing someone's memory?" I asked, playing along with them.

"No, I don't think so," Renji said. "Whatever they used or did actually erased her memory, making her forget what happened. We on the hand use Kikanshinki to substitute their memories instead."

"You mean that thing that has a bird's head popping out of it? How come it looks so stupid?" Ichigo said with a comical straight face.

Renji scoffed at him. "I'm not in charge of making these things!"

"Well, right now, that all doesn't matter," Uryu interrupted. "At least we know that they did no harm to Orihime. However," he readjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, "Whoever did this may still be around."

Ichigo became serious again as he said, "Then we'll stick around, too, and keep an eye out for them." After declaring this, everyone entered Orihime's apartment and made ourselves at home. Thankfully, Renji didn't scavenge for food in her fridge like last time. But, it didn't matter, because this wasn't the real Orihime.

Yes, I knew that it would have been better to just tell the guys that, but that would later on lead to questions about how I knew what I knew. I understood that since I basically already knew what was coming, I would have the upper hand and be able to prevent many things from happening, i.e. saving Momo and Toshiro from getting severely injured. However, I didn't believe that I should do that for _everything_ that happened, like right now with the Mod Souls and their true intentions. Sometimes, things just have to happen in order for people to grow or learn from that experience, which was why I kept my mouth shut about Kurodo posing as Orihime. So, I sat myself down in between Ichigo and Uryu and waited with them while taking Shi e no Setsuka from the bow she was in before setting her down behind me.

As the clock ticked the seconds away, nothing unusual or out of the ordinary happened yet. No one had said anything about it and simply sat there a bit longer, the silence weighing down on us. It was then that Chad decided to be the one to break that silence and say what everyone else was basically thinking. "Nothing's happened yet..."

"Should I make us some tea?" 'Orihime' offered.

A little after the offer, Uryu had sensed a presence of some sort approaching us. "Wait a minute..." All eyes fell on him as we awaited for him to continue. "Something's coming..."

Right when he announced it, the light's in the room went out just before something crash landed on the roof of the apartment. A violent wind from outside brought our attention to the now open window. Everyone immediately stood from their seats with slight panic while Ichigo wondered what possibly caused it. Meanwhile, Renji rushed to the door and tried opening it but failed, realizing that it was locked from the outside.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Uryu demanded, causing our heads to turn at the scene of Orihime holding Chad in a chokehold while her eyes were an evil-like red.

Ichigo tried to reason with Orihime and demanded that she let him go. Sadly, it was dismissed as she continued choking Chad, possibly even harder than before. They realized that this was not the Orihime they thought it to be; giving Ichigo and Renji no other choice but to fight back. Before they could unsheathe their swords though, Uryu stopped them, saying that that wouldn't be the best idea since they were possessing her body.

"Well, if we can't use our Zanpakuto, how about I use my foot!" I suggested as leapt off the small table in the room and sent a hard kick to 'Orihime's' face. The force behind my kick caused her to stumble back while releasing her grip on Chad. Meanwhile, he fell down and gasped for the air that was missing from his lungs.

"Did you not hear what I said?" Uryu scolded me.

"Yeah, I heard you loud and clear," I shot back at him with a straight face. "But haven't you felt the strange spiritual pressure coming from this person? It doesn't feel like Orihime's at all, not even anywhere close to it."

"Well, now that you mentioned it..."

Once I basically blew his cover, Kurodo regained his balance and laughed sinisterly while shifting back to his original self. "What the hell?" Renji said with a baffled face expression.

"It's about time you showed your face, bastard. You're the one who called us!" Ichigo concluded as he shot an accusing finger his way.

'_I swear, if Ichigo doesn't think before acting...' _I thought while pinching the bridge of my nose. I then slapped him upside the head, earning an angry look from him.

"What the hell, Alex!"

"You idiot," I retorted. "Replay what you just said in your head."

Kurodo continued grinning at us while saying, "The girl is right, you know. It was ignorant of you to think that such a small voice could come out from someone like me. I'm Kurodo, and I have been looking forward to this for some time..." he paused before looking up, "There's also someone else."

As Kurodo announced it, Noba entered the room using one of his portals. All eyes turned to him as he said, "Pleased to meet you." A blinding light of red then appeared behind the two. They chuckled as we blocked our eyes from the brightness. While we were distracted, both Mod Souls had taken Chad, vanishing from the room. By the time all of us became used to the light, it was too late to save our friend. Chad was already being sucked into the opened gate, reaching out for anyone to rescue him. Ichigo, once again, went after him and unsheathed his Zangetsu to destroy the gate. But just like what happened to Orihime, the doors closed shut on him, forcing him back to the rest of us as we were rushed to the window.

Laughter filled our ears, one with a high pitch that annoyed us all. Ichigo, recognizing the annoying little voice, searched all around for the girl.

"I'm right here!" Ririn called out as she and the other two Mod Souls appeared on the top and center of the gate. She swung her feet back and forth playfully while looking down on him and the rest of us. "Hi there, boys! Oh, the brunette is here, too!"

I glared at Ririn with hard emerald eyes, not once showing the slightest bit of laughter in them. Did you think I did a pretty O.K. job at acting vile toward them? I mean, I had to do _something_ in order to make them believe that I wasn't aware of their true identities.

"Who the hell are you? And what's this all about?" Ichigo demanded while on the roof.

Ririn giggled once more. "My name is Ririn! Nice to meet you, too!" Ichigo repeated himself, since she obviously still didn't answer his other question, but the blonde little girl brushed it off a second time. "Do you like my game?" she asked before giggling.

Without my knowing, Renji had left the balcony and went up to Ichigo's side with his Shikai already released. Both chose on their targets before assigning Ririn to me and Uryu. Just as I was ready to leap into action, I noticed a burdened sort of look on the Quincy's face. "Uryu, let's..." And it was then that I remembered the most important thing; it was the fact that he could no more use his powers anymore. I felt a little forgetful and stupid for allowing that to slip my mind. The poor guy must have been feeling like he was useless in some ways.

By the time I took my eyes off Uryu and returned it to the action going on outside, the three Mod Souls already made their exit. The guys were probably feeling slightly defeated and somewhat baffled by the event. Most likely having a quick recovery from those states, Ichigo and Renji entered the small home with their Zanpakuto sealed and sheathed. I turned to the orange haired teen before asking, "What now?"

Ichigo didn't answer me right away, since he needed to think for a moment. "...Let's head on over to Urahara's and tell him what's happened so far. But first, we need to get our bodies from my house."

"Why do we need to? I'm sure they'll be fine."

"I don't know... I have a feeling those guys might snatch them up, too. It's best that we leave them where we know it's safe."

"Hold on a second," Uryu interrupted. "Why is your body at Ichigo's house?" he asked, indicating the question toward me.

I laughed a little sheepishly and rubbed the back of my neck. "Well, you see, I was only staying over for the night because I didn't have the energy to go back to my own home. It's nothing serious, really."

"I don't know; I think you had another reason for being there," Renji countered. Of course Pineapple Head wouldn't leave it at that.

An exasperated sigh left my lips as I rolled my eyes. "I don't have time to be re-explaining myself with an idiot like you. We should probably hurry if we're going to get our bodies," I suggested, the last part being said toward Ichigo. Renji shouted a quick, 'hey!', before Ichigo responded.

"Yeah, we probably should. Let's go!"

Out the apartment's open window we went as the four of us hurried to the Kurosaki Clinic to retrieve the two vacant bodies.

* * *

"Hey, Uryu," I whispered while running near the back with said boy.

"Hm?" He was carrying my body on his back since I didn't have a Gikongan or a Mod Soul of my own.

"Back there at Orihime's… Are you hiding something?"

"Wh-What? I'm not hiding anything at all!" It was obvious he was denying it. And it was obvious that he wasn't ready to tell any of us about it yet.

I smiled softly. "Don't worry, Uryu. I won't tell the others."

Uryu's dark blue eyes widened, surprised that I was able to see right through him. "You mean...you knew all along?"

Shaking my head, I said, "Actually, I figured it out. But until you believe it's the right time, my lips are sealed." I winked while acting as if I were zipping my mouth shut.

I received a gentle and relieved smile from Uryu. "Thanks, Alex."

"No problem."

"Hey! Would someone tell me what the hell is going on?!" Kon, of course, continued yelling and squirming around in the neck hold Ichigo held him in as he was being dragged in Ichigo's body.

We simply ignored him until stampeding into the quiet property belonging to Kisuke. Apparently, we were interrupting their tea party, with the herbal tea in their hands and all. Soon after, Ichigo caught the shop owner up on all that happened so far while Tessai gladly took both our bodies to another room in the back. The rest of us sat down around the brown coffee table and tried thinking of ways we could fight our new enemies but without using the attacks we've used on them already. As expected, Renji asked if it was possibly Aizen being behind all this. To them, it was hard to tell. But in my opinion, if I had no information about anything, I wouldn't believe that to be the case. Aizen would've done something more serious if it were him. Plus, the fact that he himself had said that the Hogyoku was still in its dormant state meant that he would need time to awaken its power. So, it would be reckless if Aizen went ahead and attacked us so soon. _'I wonder why they never think this rationally most of the time...' _I thought to myself with my arms folded over my chest.

Meanwhile, the others were strategizing and trying to somewhat grasp how the enemy fought. Tessai realized their power had to be derived from Kido, so it was of course understandable that we would now have to use Kido-based attacks in order to defeat them. Since neither Ichigo nor Renji, including me I guess, didn't have that kind of power or ability, Uryu was the one for the job.

"Uryu, it's up to you now. You're gonna have to take those guys out with your Quincy powers," Ichigo concluded as he comically gave him a thumbs-up.

"I kinda figured you would come up with that solution..." Uryu mumbled while pushing his glasses up the ridge of his nose.

As everyone was slightly confused with what he meant, I was the only one, excluding Uryu, that knew about the situation. _'At least this time I made it seem like it was believable when I told him I found out about it eventually.'_

Before any of them would question Uryu's comment, Tessai continued on, saying that we were dealing with an intelligent enemy since they kidnapped Chad and Orihime first, knowing that they would be the easiest targets. Ichigo then admitted that everything went accordingly to their plans so far just before the shop's phone rang and caught all of our attentions. Kisuke answered it as if they were a costumer. His friendly smile then left his face when the voice on the other end asked to speak with Ichigo, recognizing it to be the one from the previous phone call. Said boy was given the phone and spoke with Ririn. After doing so, Ichigo then passed on the information about having to leave for the Karakura Museum.

Kon acted as if he were a big shot, saying we had nothing to worry about since he would be joining us. Oh, how unfortunate for him once he was then reverted to being a backpack.

"Hey! What is the meaning of this?!" Kon shouted as he thrashed around on Uryu's back.

"Shut your mouth before I sew it shut!" Ichigo called to the stuffed lion. "I already explained that we don't know where the enemy will attack us from, so we need you to watch our backs for us."

"But did you have to turn me into this backpack like the ones kid's wear?"

'_The day I see Kon being obedient and quiet will be the day Ichigo starts showing his feelings,' _I thought as I listened to the chatterbox of a toy complaining about his new role. He should've been grateful that we allowed him to come along at all, the little nuisance! Once he finally shut up for a moment, we reached the museum. I was surprised that the Mod Souls found a way to gain access inside. Wasn't there any security guarding the place at that hour?

Renji wondered if one of us should stay outside and keep watch, but Ichigo was against it considering the circumstances. With that said, our group entered through the doors of the museum, only to find it dark and empty with no signs of life anywhere. Just when we thought nothing would happen, Ririn's voice came over the intercom. She welcomed us in the cheeriest tone possible, though Ichigo had no time for it and demanded that she revealed herself. Of course, the demand was ignored as Ririn told us that we were to play a game of hide and seek.

The boys retorted, saying that they didn't come there to play child's games. Ririn snapped at them for being spoiled sports. When she told us that if we were to find them that they would return our kidnapped friends, Ichigo made the decision of going along with their game. What nearly ticked Ichigo and Renji off was that we had to leave our Zanpakuto behind. We didn't have a choice though, because our friends' lives were in 'danger'. So, we were directed to the cases put aside with our Zanpakuto's names on them.

Tell me, would it have been bad if you laughed at someone else's pain? You know, if it wasn't so serious. Well, either way, I let out a few chuckles when Renji got P.O. at his Zabimaru's misspelled name. He crushed the tag with his bare hand after Ichigo made it worse. What comes around goes around, right?

I laughed even harder when Ichigo slammed his foot on the name tag for his Zangetsu's misspelled name. Renji snickered evilly as Ichigo became angry as well. I had prepared myself for my own pain, but it surprisingly didn't happen. I grabbed the small board and held it up near my face as I smiled cutely at the two angered Soul Reapers with dark shadows covering their eyes. "Aw, it looks like they favor Shi e no Setsuka's name more than your Zanpakuto."

"Where's a black marker when you need one..." Ichigo mumbled with a fist clenched near his face.

"You two are playing into their hands when you react that way," Uryu stated.

Renji and Ichigo turned to him while yelling in unison, "Just shut up!"

He sighed mentally, "What can you do? I might as well reason with a brick..."

After they calmed down, Ichigo and Renji placed their swords in the cases provided as I did with my own before we set forward to the open room ahead of us. The moment we stepped inside that first room, the games had begun.

* * *

And this was exactly why I wanted to stay out of these stupid games. First off, I had to deal with encountering a dark room that frightened me to the bones since I was still trying to get over my nyctophobia. Second, two certain meatheads _would not_ quit arguing with each other and allowed Ririn to get in their heads. And finally, I developed a deep, hated passion for puzzles such as the one Uryu just solved. I had to say that I was seriously impressed with his brain skills. It was no wonder why he was the top in our class!

As we all dashed out of the never-ending labyrinth, everything became like how it was before. The way it faded out made it seem like it was an illusion, courtesy of Ririn. Said girl sat upon the the fossil remains of a T-Rex while smirking down at us as Uryu then explained how he was able to figure out the puzzle. Ririn giggled as she congratulated him. But, it was short lived as Noba teleported behind Uryu and took him by the neck.

The rest of us prepared ourselves for a fight, but it wasn't needed. Earlier, Ichigo had given his Combat Pass to Quincy on his request. Such smart thinking was hard to come by these days, though not really. It was then revealed, to the others of course, that they were dealing with Mod Souls the whole time.

Just when Uryu thought they were going to tell us who they really were, Kurodo swooped in and retrieved Noba's body and pill before he and Ririn took their leave. We chased after them, only to find everyone else that was kidnapped standing right in front of us.

When I saw Botania, the older sibling part of me took over. I ran over to greet the little girl with a bear hug. Bobo returned it as she too was glad to see me again. I didn't care if the others saw; I was just glad that she was alright.

The reunion had to be put on hold for later, though. Two of the three Mod Souls from before reappeared again, standing upon their gate. Ichigo warned us all that they were getting ready to use it once more. But Noba eased our minds, saying that it wouldn't be used that time. Ririn stated that since we won the game, our friends were returned to us just as she promised. Our swords were then given back to us right before they jumped off the gate and opened it. As they entered it one by one, Ichigo called out to them, asking them just where they were going now.

Ririn simply giggled her signature laugh. "I have to go get ready for the next game!" she said matter-of-factly. Her voice still lingered in the air as it said, "School is about to begin; all good students should be in their classes!"

"What does she mean?" Uryu asked.

"I'd go quickly if I were you, or all of your friends may start to disappear..."

Those were her last words as the gate closed before it too had vanished into thin air. Everyone stood there silently, wondering what was possibly waiting for us at our school.

* * *

_**I don't think this chapter was okay near the end, in my opinion. But, I guess that's what I get for being so darn late recently. **_

_**Well, I just hope that everyone liked some parts of it at least. I promise to bring you another chapter sooner this time. Promise!**_

_**Ciao!**_


	30. Chapter 30

_**Disclaimer (Will be the last time that I say this): I do not own Bleach nor its characters and plot, only my OCs.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 30**

_Alex's P.O.V._

After I got back home with Botania in my body—which was already in the middle of the school's front courtyard with Ichigo and Renji's when we got there that morning—I went to put her to bed in her room. It'd been a pretty long day and night for all of us, and since she was the one held hostage, she deserved the rest. I then left for my own bedroom and decided to take a nice, long shower. I didn't really care if I was going to be late. I had been up all night for crying out loud! That shower was well needed for my own and everyone else's sake. Once finished bathing my tired body, I left my bathroom wrapped in only a white towel. My hair was down in damp waves as I didn't bother to dry it. That usually happened when it got wet, but it eventually became straight again after a while. It's weird how Ichigo and Yoruichi didn't notice that when we were in the hot spring of that underground training area. Oh, well.

When I knew I was dry enough, I got dressed in my school uniform and black, thigh-length stockings. Just for the fun of it, I would let my hair down but pinned some of it back using two of my own hairclips, both being a pale green. There were strands of hair that framed my forehead in the form of small side bangs. Since I never really cared for looking in the mirror save for when I did makeup (very rare), I went downstairs with my schoolbag, took a slice of toast that Rosa popped in the toaster for me while thanking her, and then hurried out my door toward Karakura High.

Since Ichigo and the others were already at school and didn't go back home like I did, I was by myself until reaching the gates of the building. As I was on my way to class 1-3, a spark of curiosity came to me, causing me to walk slower than I was going before. _'Wait, I already know who the imposter is! Why didn't I just tell the others and… Oh, right. _That's _why.' _Already did I forget about the little promise I made to myself back at Orihime's place. If I kept showing everyone that I knew so much about everything, they would start to suspect something was up. Obviously, I couldn't let that happen. A soft sigh came from my lips as I gently bowed my head. "Well, isn't that great?"

To be honest, things would've been a lot easier if I shared everything I knew to my friends and the Soul Society. But, I feared that it would cause plenty of questions that needed answers to, and I certainly didn't want _that _to happen, now did I? Besides, all of these games were necessary for the others. If I interfered too much, it would defeat the purpose of the hidden lessons. Although I really wanted to get things started, I had to hold back and wait. Sure, other fans would've just gone ahead and told everyone how to win the games and all that good stuff, but I wanted to be fair and let things flow the way they're supposed to. Disturbing that flow would lead to some serious consequences. At least, that was how I saw it.

Upon entering my first period, I went to sit down in my desk, which was on the left of Ichigo's. I was so lost in thought that I hadn't noticed the 'Good Morning's my friends gave me. Since Ms. Ochi wasn't there yet, I got out one of my notebooks and began doodling in the margins. Of course, I drew my most beloved shape, a spade. With the multi-colored pens I had in my bag, I decided to take them out and start filling in the empty, pencil drawn spades that were all over the margins. As I finished shading one spade orange, I paused what I was doing. My green eyes softened at the doodle. Subconsciously, my free hand reached up to the surprisingly warm locket dangling around my neck. I blinked confusedly, wondering just what the hell I was doing. Mentally laughing to myself, I thought, _'That's weird. Since when did I…?'_

"Alex…Alex…Dammit, woman, are you deaf?!"

I yelped in response to Ichigo's yelling and jumped in my seat. I didn't even realize he was calling me. My head slowly turned to face him with a comically frightened look as I said, "Um…yes?" He might not have known that I was actually answering him in general and not to his rhetorical question.

Ichigo sighed as he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose at how clueless I was being. "Geez, I worry about you sometimes, you know?"

Heat rose to my cheeks after I heard him say that, but I quickly shook my head to shake the feeling off. "Sorry," I quietly said, though it was kind of unlike me to reply that way. Usually, I would have a comeback ready for him, or smack upside the head, or even call him by the nicknames I gave him.

Apparently, Ichigo picked up on that, too. He quirked a brow as he stared at me with a questioning stare. "Are you feeling alright? You're acting a little strange for some reason. Unless…"

'_I swear, if you say that—.'_

"Unless, maybe _you're_ the imposter!" he concluded while leaning uncomfortably close toward my face.

I sighed, mentally slapping myself on the head before actually flicking Ichigo on the forehead. "You dumbass, what makes you think _I'm _the imposter," I asked as I watched him rub the spot where I hurt him. He gave me a comical, straight face while most likely cursing me out in his mind. "Look, all I'm saying is that you need to think before rushing to conclusions. To better explain what I mean, just think about it. How would they find time to switch places with me if I was with you guys the entire time? Wouldn't it make more sense for you to interrogate Chad and Orihime?"

"And what about Botania? She was with them, too," Ichigo stated, folding his arms over his chest.

I sighed, "Because I just know that she isn't, alright? So, drop it." I returned to my notebook and began doodling again. I wasn't able to notice the look Ichigo gave me. He sounded like he was about to say something, but he was stopped when Ms. Ochi came in the room and told everyone to take their seats before she would take attendance.

About ten minutes into class, my eyes were completely glued to the chalkboard at the front of the room when I suddenly heard quiet yelling beside me. I brushed it off though, thinking that it didn't concern me or anyone I knew. But after recognizing the voices, I swiveled half my body around and sweat dropped at the two idiots being, of course, idiots. Renji was merely examining Ichigo's textbook when the Fruit Pop decided to go off on him. To be honest, I'd had to say it was his own fault for letting his temper get the best of him. Ichigo should've just calmly told Renji to leave before he would cause a commotion within the classroom. But, _no_! The dumbass simply had to get the both of them kicked out. Although they acted like it, I still found it weird that everyone kept thinking they were related.

After Renji and Ichigo left and stood outside the classroom, Ms. Ochi continued with the lesson. Minutes later, everyone could hear Ichigo demanding Renji to 'take it off'. Of course, nearly everyone assumed it to be what they thought it was. Thankfully—since I would've definitely or partially thought the same thing, as well—I knew that he was talking about Renji's Gigai. Poor Ichigo; he had to deal with explaining everything to the rest of our little group after class outside. Once he was finished, Uryu somewhat chided him for making a wild guess like that. Our glasses wearing friend then told us that we had no idea if the imposter was able to mimic the powers and abilities of the person they replaced instead of just only their appearance. Seeing that he was right—as usual—we all made a silent agreement to keep that possible fact in mind the next time we wanted to make a wild guess.

* * *

"Orihime! Orihime, wait!"

Ichigo called after said girl as the others and I followed close behind in our gym clothes. The boys wore long sweatpants, a t-shirt, and white sneakers while Orihime and I had on the same thing, except we had shorts that went a little past our knees or maybe above them.

None of us knew why Orihime decided to run off toward the school building so suddenly. Well, no one besides myself, though. But even with what I knew, I still found it pretty low to do something like what the Mod Souls did. It wasn't noon yet, so we had plenty of time to figure out who the imposter was. It was completely unfair of them to make our friends disappear so soon! Sure, I could have just gone ahead and gave them my answer to end it, but it was like I said before—it's best that my friends learn from these games in order to be better at working as a team. I know it sounds sort of stupid or lame, but things like this happen for a reason. But let's get back to the Orihime problem.

We finally caught up with her once inside. Orihime had just noticed Tatsuki's purple wristband resting in the middle of the hallway. After picking it up, I could tell she was on the verge of tears and also a possible break down. She started saying things like, 'She didn't do anything' and 'She had nothing to do with this'. These were usually said when certain people, who were easily affected by someone that was involved in their own mess or troubles, became somewhat regretful or angered. Uryu tried to calm her down at the least, telling her that it wasn't proven that the Mod Souls took Tatsuki. Unfortunately, everything went downhill from there.

"NO!" Orihime snapped while ripping Uryu's hand off her shoulder. He was taken aback by the sudden action, but it was kinda expected when dealing with her in this state. "How dare you tell me to take it easy! Aren't you worried about Tatsuki? Unless… Maybe, it was _you_!" Tears outlined her gray eyes as she slowly allowed her emotions to take over. "I can't take it anymore; I can't trust anyone. Which one of you is the imposter…? What have you done with her? What have you done with Tatsuki? Bring her back!" Although Orihime meant to sound demanding, her voice shook as she began to let her tears flow while gripping tightly on her beloved friend's wristband.

Oh, Orihime… Tatsuki was my friend, too. But those two had such a strong bond. It was no wonder why she jumped to conclusions and was on the brink of a meltdown. I sincerely hated seeing Orihime like this. Those Mod Souls had no right to take someone as dear as Tatsuki away from her. Thankfully, though, Ichigo would handle this and ease her troubled and hurt self. As I thought this, there was a strange, panging feeling in my chest. Why I felt this, I had no idea…

Ichigo rushed over to Orihime's side and grabbed her by the shoulders, gently. Once doing so, he warned her that the enemy was only doing this to make us all go against each other. He reassured her further by saying that he would take care of everything. Hearing him say that finally seized Orihime's crying as she looked up into his eyes, pleading for him save her best friend.

There was that panging feeling again in my chest. My hand went up to it before gently gripping onto it. The silver, spade-shaped locket Ichigo gave me was within its grasp. The warmth I unknowingly hoped for wasn't there… And this bothered me for some odd reason. _'But, _why_ am I feeling like this? There's nothing to be bothered by. All that's going on right now is Ichigo comforting Orihime, promising her that he would do whatever he can to ease her pain. That's all there is to it. Right…?'_

I wanted to believe that it was nothing. I _really _did. But the more Ichigo comforted Orihime, telling her to trust him because he wouldn't let Tatsuki disappear, the angrier I became. Why was this happening? I never felt this way about anything. So… Why was it that out of nowhere, I begin to feel angry, bothered, and annoyed? And at what? Ichigo having his utmost attention toward my friend, Orihime? I didn't have a clue at what was going on, but I did know that if anyone else unintentionally mentioned anything related to it, I might've punched a hole in the wall to let out my anger.

"Aww, isn't that sweet? But the question is: can you back it up? All of your talk won't do any good if you can't find the imposter," Ririn said from outside the windows. She and Noba stood on a couple of lampposts near the windows while said girl held her pink clock.

'_Are you KIDDING me?'_ My eyebrow twitched. Whoever pulled the strings must've been having a kick-ass time. _'Just relax, Alex. Take deep breaths, and don't let it get to you. Just…breathe….'_

Ririn went on, saying, "The clock is ticking, and it won't be long until all your friends disappear."

'_Don't let your anger get the best of you; don't let it get the best of you…'_I began to rub my temples with the tips of my fingers to help calm my nerves. I would not allow myself to be easily provoked by some stupid thoughts and feelings I had toward the uncomfortable situation I was in. Luckily, I started to feel the massage on my temples work for me. It made me glad, because I was worried that I would cause a commotion and—.

"Looks like your friend over there seems to be getting the idea," Ririn stated, interrupting my thoughts. "Instead of making promises you probably can't keep, why not actually try and figure out who the imposter is—?"

"**Will you shut the hell up already!?**" I screamed, forgetting everything I told myself _not _to do. My Nokutan Tebukuro somehow appeared on my arms—this time engulfed in cyan blue Spiritual Pressure, which was my own of course. Everyone around me started to somewhat worry and panic. I myself began to worry about what I was preparing to do, for I had no control of my actions whatsoever. All I remembered was being enraged at something that was probably stupid and ridiculous as I destroyed several windows with a blast of energy that came from my right arm. The sudden attack caught Ririn off guard, forcing her and Noba to hurriedly retreat before getting hit by it. The look on her face was absolutely priceless, but there was no time to be laughing. There were more important matters to address and explain. Like for instance, why I just attacked seemingly unarmed enemies for no apparent reason.

After shattering about several windows, there was smoke emitting from my right hand as it was still outstretched and aimed at where Ririn used to stand. Even the lampposts took a bit of damage from the blast. Everyone, including myself, was in complete shock. But what really intrigued me were the three, bandaged fingertips on both hands when I clearly remembered _two _of them being that way.

_Normal P.O.V._

While Ichigo and the others were in a daze at their friend's action, Alex simply stood there in the same stance with her head bowed and her eyes partially covered by a few strands of her brown hair. A shadow lingered over the pair of green as silence was all that could be heard from anyone.

The first to speak and come out of their frozen state was Uryu as he asked, "Alex, why did you…?"

"I don't know…" was all that came from her in a quiet, soft tone. Her mind was still working as it tried to help her understand the situation she was in at the moment, along with how to deal with it.

However, this for some reason frustrated Ichigo, somewhat. "You don't know?" he repeated incredulously, a few octaves higher than both of them. "What do you mean, 'you don't know'? Why the hell did you break the damn windows _and_ scare the enemy away?"

Alex slowly straightened her posture and returned to a relaxed stance, her arms limply resting by her sides. She didn't face him, though, and her head was still low. "I said, 'I don't know'," she replied in her previous tone, yet sounded a bit irritated at how he asked her.

"That isn't answering my question, dammit! I hope you realize that what you've done just now could cause people all over the school to worry and rush over to where the blast came from. Did you even think before doing something as reckless as that?"

Orihime began to worry as she noticed how loud Ichigo was speaking toward Alex. _'Maybe she really doesn't know why she did what she did. We should probably just let it go and leave before people do start coming.' _She wanted speak her thoughts to her friends, but she had to stop Ichigo from reprimanding Alex in such a harsh sort of way in order to do that. "Ichigo, don't you think you're being a little tough on her?"

Still avoiding eye contact with the others, Alex said in a soft voice, "I appreciate you trying to help me, Orihime. But I'm being completely honest with you guys. I'm sorry if I did anything to upset any of you, but I really don't know why I—."

"That's enough with the damn excuses!" Ichigo shouted, harshly cutting her off. "Just saying 'I don't know' isn't gonna do anything. Why don't you quit acting coy and just tell me why already!?"

"Because I'm not acting coy, you friggin' asshole!" Alex retorted, finally reaching her limit in patience as her head snapped in Ichigo's direction. Anger and pain could be seen in her hard yet soft green eyes and face expression. It was also apparent that she was deeply confused with everything that happened herself. "Why is it that you always gotta be so damn persistent when I _clearly_ have no friggin' idea why I blasted the Gosh-damn windows!? If I say that I don't know, then I don't know!"

"Persistent!? What the hell do you mean by that? And saying 'I don't know' as your only answer doesn't cut it! You're only saying that because you're too damn stubborn to admit why you used your Soul Reaper powers!"

"_I'm _the one that's stubborn?" Before she knew it, Alex found herself inches away from Ichigo's face. She could feel him breathe hot air on her skin, unknowingly sending chills down her spine. "That's a load of bull! Last time I checked, _you_ were the stubborn dumbass the entire time we were in the Soul Society!" she retorted while jabbing her index finger at his chest.

"When did being focused on saving someone from being executed become the definition of stubborn? At least I wasn't the lazy ass who messed around with people in their sleep!"

Uryu and Orihime were the first to hear about this. In response, they both gave confused and somewhat surprised looks at the two fighting teens. "Messing around with people in their sleep…?" Uryu asked quietly.

"What did he mean by—?"

"I don't think you want to know, Orihime…" For her sake, Uryu simply pushed it aside but would eventually find out about it himself.

Meanwhile, Alex and Ichigo were still arguing, shooting harsh words back and forth between each other. "I can't believe you're still on that crap! I already told you that I didn't do anything and that I was just joking. Quit being such a child, Fruit Pop!"

"Stop calling me 'Fruit Pop', Knucklehead!" Ichigo shot back.

"I'll call you 'Fruit Pop' however many times I want to, Fruit Pop!"

"Geez, why can't you just admit why you broke the damn windows? We wouldn't still be arguing if you had done so already!"

"I'm not gonna admit to it because I honestly don't know!"

"Stop coming up with excuses and just tell me! What the hell are you so afraid of that you can't tell me why?"

"I'm not afraid! Besides, why do you care so much about it, anyway?" Alex asked, getting slightly fed up with him by the second.

"That's none of your business!" Ichigo shouted.

Instead of saying a sharp comeback, Alex clenched her fists and as she hung her head low. "Why do you always do that? Whenever anyone—_especially_ your friends and family—wanna know what the hell is the matter with you, you always push them away or immediately shut them out! Well, you know what? I'm tired of it _and _you!" She spun on her heel while lifting her head up in the process before angrily walking away.

"Where the hell do you think you're going? You still haven't answered me yet!" Ichigo called after her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I can't be trusted to have an answer to everything. And since it's pretty obvious right now that neither one of us has the strength not to kill each other, how about we both promise to leave the other person alone? I bet you would _love_ that!" Without having any regrets or doubts of what'd been said, Alex continued to be on her way, making sure that she would be as far away from the orange haired boy as possible.

Ichigo watched her leave with a now confused yet still peeved look. Her words didn't make any sense to him whatsoever at first. It wasn't until they were repeated in his head more than once that Ichigo was finally able to understand. His once angered, brown eyes softened before he closed them and let out a heavy sigh. _'You really are stubborn...'_

"Um, Ichigo," Orihime started, bringing said boy out of his thoughts, "shouldn't someone go after her? If Alex isn't the imposter, what if the real one tries to take her away, too?"

"Don't worry about Alex; she's capable of taking care of herself. Besides, after what happened just now, I don't think those guys will want to mess with her," he answered.

Uryu adjusted his glasses before saying, "There's also the fact that Alex is one of the few that has to decide who the imposter is, so I'm sure that might also be the reason—."

"What in the world happened out here!?" a middle-age teacher yelled as she stared at the remains of the glass windows surrounding the teens' feet. "Alright, who is responsible for this!?"

"Wh-What should we do?" Orihime asked, seeming a little frantic.

All had exchanged looks with one another before everyone in the group of now four teens hurried away from the scene. None of them looked back, and it was probably best since the teacher yelling at them earlier became heaping mad. "Where do you think you are all going!? Get back here and clean up this mess! Don't think that I won't find out who you are!"

* * *

Alex sat upon the building-type entranceway to the roofs, specifically the one where the guys ate their lunch on most days. She held her knees close to her chest while resting her head on them. By now, she had already changed back to her school uniform and black stockings, her personally crafted dagger safely secured and hidden within one of them. All the while, Alex was reflecting over the argument she had with Ichigo not too long ago. A pensive gaze could be seen on her fair-skinned face as she tried to understand the mess that occurred in the halls of Karakura High. A part of her felt guilty about possibly endangering and harming her friends and any innocent passersby, yet another part of her was glad that those certain people got what they deserved and such of the matter. All in all, Alex was torn and confused on how to feel and respond.

Stretching her right arm out, Alex stared at it as if it would answer another question in mind, which was how in the world did she have the power to fire a blast of energy period. _'I've never done that before, not even during my Bankai training. And why is there another bandaged finger? Could that have something to do with it? Well, Shi e no Setsuka hadn't said anything about it, so…'_ A heavy sigh escaped her as she sunk her head further in her knees, letting her raised arm hug her legs again. This was too much for Alex to handle in one day. It could've been worse, though. _'At least I don't have deal with _him_ for a while…'_

Speaking of the devil, Ichigo emerged from the opened doorway leading to the roof with his hands stuffed in his uniform pants' pockets. He sensed a familiar Spiritual Pressure and walked out further before turning and looking up to stare at the girl he was meaning to talk to for some time now. Without needing to say anything, she was able to sense his presence and perked up slightly to see him. As if mimicking the signature scowl on his face, Alex sent Ichigo a sort of icy glare his way and said, "Go away and leave me alone…"

"I'm not leaving until you come down here so we can talk about this," he said, determined to speak with her.

"Then you might as well get comfortable, because I'm not moving from this spot."

"Look, can you at least hear me out?"

"How about I don't and you can go somewhere, dumbass?" she snapped back at him.

A tick mark throbbed on Ichigo's temple as he shut his eyes and grit his teeth. He quickly calmed himself down by taking a deep breath through his nose and tried again. "If you don't come down, then I'm coming up," he declared as a sort of ultimatum.

"Yeah, right. I'd like to see you try to get up here, if you actually—," Alex started as her eyes were closed and not paying attention to Ichigo. Before she could even realize it, he ever so effortlessly ran up the little building and stopped right before Alex, a mere couple of inches away from her nose. In response to the sudden closeness of their faces, she freaked out and ended up falling back, banging her head in the process. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Dammit, that really hurt!" she complained while gripping onto her hurt noggin.

Ichigo simply stared at her with a blank expression accompanied by his usual scowl. He brushed it off while closing his eyes and lifting himself up the rest of the way. He then stood and waited patiently for her to finish. Once she did, he repeated himself, saying, "I told you, either you came down or I would come up here."

Alex inwardly growled at him as she sat back up with her arms folded over her chest. "Well, you're up here, so you can go ahead and talk to the space I was in while I leave and go somewhere else," she said, already heading toward the entranceway below them.

"Could you quit being so damn stubborn just this once? At least hear me out first," Ichigo tried again, easily losing his patience with her by the passing second.

Regardless of his attempts, the brown haired teen was already near the edge of the building top. "And I said, _no_. Now, quit bothering me about and leave me—!" She abruptly stopped as a hand grabbed her by the upper arm. Her eyes widened in surprise once realizing that it belonged to a seemingly frustrated teenager that she knew all too well. "Ichigo…"

Said boy didn't face her as he stared out at nothing in particular. "Just…listen to what I have to say, Alex. Can you at least do that?" he requested in a gentle voice. It was almost inaudible, but he managed to let her hear him. The grip on her upper arm wasn't tight or strong at all, so Alex would've had no trouble breaking free. But she didn't.

Alex was too busy being in shock at the way Ichigo was acting to even think about escaping or running away from him. Strange enough, the odd yet welcoming and comforting warmth from the locket got her attention as her free hand went up to place itself over the silvery centerpiece. Gently and slowly closing her eyes, Alex gave a soft sigh and finally gave in. She turned around before saying, "All right, all right, I'll listen to what you have to say."

Hearing this made Ichigo release his loose grip on her arm. He faced Alex just in time to see her sit in her original spot on the edge with her black clothed legs dangling. He then found a spot close to her and sat with one leg dangling while the other was tucked in.

After a short while of man-made silence, "…Look, about what I said to you back there," Ichigo started, "I didn't mean to hurt you in any way. I was just worried about you."

"You were? But, why?" she asked, trying not to stutter, as a tint of pink stained her cheeks.

The same happened for Ichigo, except his was a lighter shade that could barely be seen, as he sharply faced away from Alex to make it seem as if he didn't care. "Well, you were acting weird this morning. You kept spacing out like you were in deep thought, and just now, you destroyed at least several windows for a reason I still don't know why." By now, the light pink on his cheeks went away. This made him face forward but still not to her. He sighed before continuing, "What I'm trying to say is that you gotta remember you have friends that'll be there for you, listen to whatever is bothering you, or will do anything at all to help. If you just keep it all in without telling anyone, you're gonna end up regretting, or even worse."

Alex was in complete awe at how Ichigo could be so understanding and thoughtful. He was right, though; bottling up or keeping everything to yourself without letting anyone help her get through it wasn't such a good idea. A gentle sigh left her lips as Alex closed her eyes for a brief moment. After opening them again, she turned to him before finally saying, "You're right. Really, you are. I guess I owe you and everyone else an apology for what happened earlier, huh?"

Instead of smiling, Ichigo's lips curved into a smirk as he chuckled to himself. "Yeah, pretty much. But, you know, I couldn't blame you for wanting that kid to shut up. She was being annoying as hell."

A light laugh came from Alex, knowing fully well that he probably only said that to make her feel better. Seconds later, an idea came to her. "Well, since we made up and everything, how about we hug it out?" She opened her arms out with a goofy smile on her face.

As expected, Ichigo's smirk instantly morphed into his signature scowl. "Hell no."

"Aww, come on." She started scooting closer to him. "One measly hug won't kill you."

"Yes, it will."

"Just one hug."

"_No_."

"Come on, you know you wanna," Alex sang.

"Screw you."

"One hug."

"I said—what the hell do you think you're… C-Cut it out! I said, no, dammit! Get the hell away from me!" Ichigo began to scurry away from his persistent friend as she advanced toward him, taking two steps forward while he went one step back.

"Gotcha!" Alex yelled out in victory, bringing him into a warm embrace. "See, isn't this nice?"

A straight face was seen on the poor boy's face. "Even if I wasn't being suffocated right now, I still wouldn't think this was nice," he deadpanned.

"Whatever you say, Fruit Pop. Whatever you say…."

Ichigo planned on bringing up something else, but he would let it go for now. Maybe he would do talk to her about it some other time.

* * *

_Alex's P.O.V._

I felt so relieved after patching things up with Ichigo. To be honest, half the stuff I said—or rather yelled—at him was just the anger talking. Anyway, now that that was taken care of, Ichigo and I headed back inside to meet up with the rest of our small group of five in a vacant classroom.

Ichigo then thought of calling Urahara to see if he could help out in any way with our little Mod Soul problem. So, he took out his cell phone and dialed the shop's number. Jinta, of course, answered. I could tell by the annoyed expression Ichigo made right after he picked up the phone. After speaking to the little boy for a few minutes, he pressed the 'End' button and brought the device away from his ear. He had no luck at all, not being able to reach him because he wasn't there at the moment.

As if on cue, Renji came in but didn't have any luck either, saying that he couldn't reach the Soul Society with his Soul Pager. This meant that he wasn't able to gather or collect any information whatsoever. In response to hearing this, the others felt like there were at a standstill, left with little to no options left. Luckily, Uryu suggested that since we couldn't pick up on any behavioral differences and such from the imposter, we should try figuring it out on a subconscious level.

"What're you talking about?" asked Renji.

"I'm talking about intuition," Uryu answered.

"Intuition?" asked Ichigo as he, Renji, and Orihime gave weird, confused stares at the boy. Goodness, I sometimes wonder how these people had such high ranks in our class. What's so confusing about intuition? It was basically instinctive feelings.

Either way, he further explained it to them to help with their confusion. "We all trust our intuition, and if our choices match, then that person is obviously the imposter." It was amazing how Uryu could be so quiet and calm while those three were the complete opposite.

"So, just trust my intuition?" I never realized that we were all lined up near the chalkboard until Ichigo had said that. Down the line he went as he was deciding, based on his intuition, who to say the imposter was. After a short amount of time, Ichigo made his choice as he shot an accusing finger in Uryu's direction.

And this was where things got crazy….

Taken aback by Ichigo decision, Uryu proved to him that there was no way he could be the imposter by showing off his sewing skills. I tried so very hard not to laugh, but I had to admit that he made a pretty dress on the stuffed animal. Afterwards, Uryu trusted (not exactly) his intuition and accused Renji of being the imposter, since we knew him the shortest amount of time. One by one, I watched as my dear, yet apparently silly and crazy, friends pointed fingers toward who they thought the imposter to be. As I stood there quietly with arms hugging myself, I shot a 'Don't even think about it,' look toward Chad when he was right about to accuse me. "Keep me out of this," I practically demanded.

So, instead of choosing me, Chad moved his finger's path toward Ichigo. Man, these people obviously didn't listen to Uryu. I didn't even think they based their guesses on intuition anymore. It was more like the exact opposite.

While everyone made entirely different guesses, Ichigo became frustrated and fed up with the game, if you could really call it that. "Which one of you is the freakin' imposter!?"

'_Oh, yeah, why didn't we think of asking them that sooner? That would've _definitely _done the trick,'_ I thought while mentally slapping a hand to my head.

Seconds later, Ririn appeared with her little pink clock, messing with us on how we had such a hard time solving the game. She reminded us of the little bit of time we had left before pointing her eyes out the window, showing us that our friends were already disappearing into thin air. First it was Keigo, then Chizuru and another girl, and then an entire class of girls followed by Ms. Ochi. The others watched in horror as the innocent lives of our friends were now in danger. I on the other hand had to feign everything.

I'll be truthful with you; choosing not to help them ended up being such a dumb mistake. Because of my fear of possibly being questioned for how I knew so many things, I put so many lives in danger. Even though, they weren't, I still felt terrible, because Ichigo and the others believed that the Mod Souls would actually harm our friends. Maybe I should've rethought the whole keep-everything-to-myself thing…

Meanwhile, we all ended up surrounding Ririn after Ichigo attempted to grab her but failed. They tried reasoning with her, saying that it would be meaningless to hurt everyone. She responded by telling them she had to abide by the rules regardless of what we said. Although she did have a solution that would bring our friends back, it would mean giving up our own lives in return.

'_Dammit, this is ridiculous!'_ I continued to hate myself for not being more helpful with these games. All I ever did was tag along and ended up as dead weight, basically useless. From then on, I made a new vow to myself that I would be more involved in everything using my knowledge of the episodes I'd watched so far.

As I was zoned out of the current situation, Ichigo felt two familiar Spiritual Pressures, immediately recognizing Yoruichi's. He ran toward an open window and indeed saw her in cat form with Soi Fon close behind. Ichigo called out to Yoruichi, but she ignored him. I didn't blame her, though. She was in a hurry dealing with an investigation on the you-know-whats. As they approached our window, the others hurried over, thinking that they were going to help us.

Alas, to everyone's chagrin, the two Soul Reapers weren't planning on aiding us. They basically disregarded the others' calls as Soi Fon kicked a window and broke it for footing purposes. It scared us for a short moment, but it wasn't as bad as 'Chad'.

Ichigo took notice of this, asking him if he was alright and if he knew what that was all about. When he replied, saying that he found it shocking for 'that lady' to do so much damage on her own, Ichigo finally figured it out.

Thank goodness! Just when I was about to celebrate our win, the Mod Souls gathered together outside and gladly pointed out that the real Chad wasn't with us, which meant that we still had one more game to do...

Damn these stupid games!


	31. Chapter 31

_**A/N: Hey! Um, before we start, I just want to clear things up about a few things that you guys might've saw confusing in the past. **_

_**1: The amount of episodes Alex saw was and will always be 267. If there are times when you see it in future chapters and become confused again, please refer to this chapter. I apparently forgot about the number I already picked and kept changing it, and I want to apologize for that. **_

_**2: As for Alex's memories, I will make it so that she remembers everything again, but there will be times when she forgets certain things. There will be plenty she forgets, but then again not too much. For instance, Alex might remember stuff like the outcome of some battles, but the battle or fight itself. However, there will be times when it's the other way around. You'll see and understand as the story progresses. **_

_**With those couple of things being cleared up, **_

_**Happy Reading!**_

* * *

**Chapter**** 31**

Ichigo…Renji… I loved those guys to death, but…

_**THWACK!**_

"Shut the hell up, ya damn idiots!" I yelled as both of my fists collided with their skulls. They now lay on the sloped, grassy earth beneath them while smoke emitted from their heads. "Damn, can't you two go one gosh damn day without arguing like a bunch of annoying kids? Honestly!"

Such bickering from said two boys had caused this perfect evening to be wasted. It was such a beautiful and peaceful night out that I nearly forgot about our entire school disappearing to some 'other dimension'. The remaining people of our little group and I were outside, sitting on a grassy hill that went out for miles like the river it sat beside, a sidewalk for everyone to walk on separating them. I should visit this river more often. Y'know, when I'm not dealing with annoying as hell _children_! Seriously, I didn't even know why they loved to argue so much. It got on everyone's nerves!

Orihime and Uryu just sat there, the latter being grateful for my decision to whack some sense into the two, and the bubbly former poking the two seemingly unconscious bodies lying on the ground.

"Maybe you hit them a little _too _hard, Alex," said Orihime, addressing the possible problem.

I rolled my eyes in a comical fashion with my hands resting on my hips. "Well, they shouldn't have been acting like little kids fighting over whoever broke someone's favorite toy. It's not my fault the Fruit Pop and Pineapple are prone to arguments."

"Fruit Pop?!"

"Pineapple?!"

Each of them shot up from their out-cold states as they shouted their nicknames. Soon after, off went they motor mouths as they began to complain and bicker about the silly and ridiculous names they were unofficially given without their content.

Meanwhile, Uryu and Orihime heaved out a sigh in the form of a white puff. Well, that was my cue.

_**TWHACK!**_

"We're sorry…" the two boys mumbled out in a high, apologetic tone.

While staring down at them, I blew the smoke off of my hands and said, "Now that the Fruit Duo are done with their petty quarrels, we can discuss the bigger and more important problem: the whole school disappearing and Chad still MIA."

"She's right, you know," Uryu added as he pushed his glasses up the ridge of his nose. "We could at least try to think of a way to save him, or possibly even figure out where the Mod Souls are keeping him hostage."

"Well," Renji started, "we do know that they're capable of transporting beings from one dimension to another, and I think that gate of theirs could be a sort of gateway to that other dimension."

Wow, I'm impressed! He was actually thinking like a lieutenant of the 13 Court Guards Squads. Now, if he could just sprinkle some of that onto Ichigo…

"That may be true," agreed Uryu, "but it doesn't explain how they were able to transport everyone at our school to the other dimension without using that same gate. Apparently, it seems that they have other ways to do it and not just one."

Ichigo ran a hand back and forth through his orange hair in slight frustration, sighing in the process. "Orihime, is there anything you can tell us about your kidnappers? Something we could possibly go on?"

The long haired ginger leaned on the back of her hands in thought, resting her elbows on her knees in the process. Nothing came to mind at first, but after a bit of remembering, she happily exclaimed, "Hey, I do remember one thing! We had some tea!"

It took almost every fiber in my body to restrain myself from literally rolling on the floor, laughing my ass off at everyone's reaction. Instead, I settled with a few quiet giggles hidden under my hand.

Meanwhile, the others gave her incredulous stares, Uryu being the most dumbfounded as a few strands of his neatly styled hair went astray. "They gave you…_tea_?"

"Mhm! And that's not all. There were muffins, too!"

"Orihime, that isn't gonna help at all," Ichigo stated truthfully as the guys sweat dropped at their imaginative friend.

"Mmm, sorry," she pouted whilst looking up at him.

Feeling like it was necessary, I patted Orihime on the head. "It's okay, at least you tried." She gave me a smile in return, glad that someone was appreciative of her help. It's not that Ichigo and the others weren't appreciative, but they pretty much disregarded her silly thoughts.

As they continued to discuss our little Mod Soul problem, which Kon was happy enough to point out they were also making him look bad, I was contemplating on whether or not I should just come out and tell them that everything we've been through was only Urahara's doing. Sure, it would mean changing the plot a little—okay, maybe to a certain degree—but what was the point of playing along when it made my friends suffer? Telling them would put an end to these silly games, but at what cost?

Ugh, thinking like this was starting to hurt my head! There had to be a way for me to let the others know that everything that has happened in these past couple of days was just lessons. _'Unless… Maybe if I make it sound like I figured it out along the way, it won't sound like I knew it from the start!'_ It was worth a try.

"…Something doesn't seem right," I speculated.

Ichigo, since he was the closest to me and was practically the leader of our group, overheard me and asked, "What is it?"

"Well, after I went over all the games we did and anything else that might've been involved in them, I realized that whenever the Mod Souls had a chance to finish us off or things of the sort, they purposefully miss the opportunity to do so. I don't think I told you guys about this, but I was confronted by them one day on my way home. That Kurōdo guy had nearly choked me to death like he did with Chad. But now that I think about it… it didn't feel like he was actually trying to hurt me," I explained.

Familiar brown eyes gave me a comical stare at the last sentence. "What do you mean he wasn't trying to hurt you? You said it yourself; you were being choked to death!"

"Nearly," I corrected him. "I was _nearly_ choked to death." I ignored the irritation on his face and continued. "And remember when they grabbed Uryu at the museum? They could've easily gotten him, but they held back. And another thing: don't you find it strange that Urahara is absent right when things are heating up?" I got up and stood in front of everyone, hands up on my hips. "I think I know what's really going on here. The Mod Souls are…"

'_That's weird… I can't speak for some reason… And, why do the others seem so worried? Is it…_me_ they're worried about? But…why?'_ While I thought this, my body felt like lead as it fell backwards toward the hill. Or at least…the bottom of the hill, that is. Involuntarily, yet at the same time it wasn't, my hand began to reach out for my friends. As my vision started to become hazy and blurry, I heard Ichigo shouting my name.

And then…I blacked out.

* * *

"...H-Huh?" Ever so slowly, I finally came to again. As my eyes opened, I found myself staring down at my necklace's locket, but it wasn't laid against my chest like always. It dangled above some rock-like terrain. And then, I realized that I was actually hanging above the ground, a little _too _high for comfort. When I tried to see if I could move, my legs felt restricted, like something bounded them together. I was able to bring them into view and found that there was rope tied around the ankles. The same went for my wrists and abdomen area as a longer linked it and a wooden pole together. "Wh…What is this? What's going on?" I asked no one in particular, but all the more still hoped for an answer.

"Oh, good. I guess I can stop worrying, now," a deep, monotonous voice said. I easily recognized it to be our missing friend.

"Chad? Where are you?" I searched for him through the mist surrounding us.

"I'm down here."

Just like he said, I looked down and to my left to see him much lower than I was and tied up to his own wooden pole. Thankfully, some of the mist cleared up, so I was able to see him. "Oh, there you are! Are you all right?" Well, of course he was! But, still, I had to make it seem like I was worried about him, even though I really was.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but how did you get up there?"

"Beats me…" I wasn't exactly sure if he was being serious or that he was actually playing along to make it seem real.

"Oh~! I see that the princess is finally awake!" a childish voice giggled, causing me to glare at the blonde haired girl standing at the bottom.

Before I could shoot a threat at her, though, my mind replayed what she said into my head, allowing me to actually sink in what I was referred to as. "_Princess_?! Why the hell are you calling me?! Do I look like a damsel in distress to you!? Just wait till I get my hands around your neck!" I yelled in comical annoyance, a throbbing tick mark on my temple.

Ririn giggled at my reaction with a small hand barely covering her mouth. "You're funny when you're angry."

"Come up here and say it to my face, ya little brat!"

As Ririn continued with her giggle session, Noba and Kurōdo appeared on either side of her, except they were faced the other way. I realized that this must be where Ichigo and the others woke up to find themselves in the 'alternate dimension' that Uryu mentioned earlier on the hill. They must've gotten sucked into the enormous gate, because there was no other way to get here.

"Hey, Ichigo, Renji, Orihime, Uryu! We're over here!" I yelled, seeing that they couldn't see us in this thick fog. What was up with that, anyways? Was it supposed to be suspenseful or something?

"Alex? Where are you?" Ichigo called, sounding relieved that I was safe. He and our friends ran towards where they last heard my voice. But instead of finding me, they saw the Mod Souls.

Childish laughter was heard from the small blonde below as she spoke, "Wow, it's surprising to see all of you still alive!"

"Why don't you come on down? I bet you won't be laughing after I'm through with you!" Ichigo threatened. His brown eyes shot daggers at Ririn.

In response to his threat, she merely smiled, knowing that he wouldn't dare try anything when she said, "Ah, ah, ah! You might wanna be careful about what you do or say from now on; guess who we have…"

All eyes traveled up to the peak of the tall, rocky hill, spotting both Chad and I all tied and hung up. "Chad, Alex!"

"Since you've all managed to stay alive this long, how about I give you a bonus round?" Ririn added before raising a hand up high. "Welcome to the Challenge Stage!"

Soon after she announced it, a huge hourglass fell on Chad, trapping him inside. As for me, I looked down and saw…a gapping, pitch black hole that felt like it was sucking me in. The force wasn't too strong, so I knew that I wouldn't fall in immediately. But…why was it that my body suddenly felt cold and still? My eyes probably had a frightened appearance to them instead of the hard, confident one they usually held.

'_I thought that I overcame my fear of the dark back in the Soul Society? Why am I feeling so afraid, now? I know that it's only an illusion, and that I'm not in any real danger. So, why do I feel…scared? And how the hell did they find out about my nyctophobia?!'_

"And to make it even more fun, Noba and Kurōdo will join in, too!" Ririn happily chimed.

"A grand idea! That would finally give us a chance to show them our true powers! Right, Noba?" Kurōdo asked toward his masked partner.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I suppose…"

He then went on a rant about how Noba could've acted the least bit excited at all. But I wasn't paying that much attention to them, because I had to deal with my once taken cared of fear all over again. Before I could even process what was happening, the rope keeping me up was beginning to tear, as well as the force of the black hole beneath me becoming stronger by the minute.

"And," I heard Ririn say, "you only get five minutes to save your friends! Oh, and just to let you know, the brunette is hanging above a special kind of portal. Or…should I say, 'Bottomless pit'?"

"A…A bottomless pit?" Ichigo forced out, already a bit shaken up about Chad possibly being buried alive.

Grinning at his troublesome state, Ririn intoned, "That's right; a dark, pitch black, bottomless pit. But y'know, the brunette could probably fall in before the big guy is buried in sand! I wonder which will happen first…"

I could tell that he bored a deep, seething glare right into Ririn's eyes. I knew that he remembered the fear I had of the dark; I knew that he remembered how I got it and why I acted like a frightened, helpless damsel whenever I either saw or was in that darkness; and I knew, by the way I watched the gaping hole beneath my dangling feet, I was once again terrified of it.

"All~ right, let the Challenge Stage…begin!" announced Ririn with a raised hand.

Right when it was said, both Noba and Kurōdo went into action and charged toward Ichigo and Renji, as did they. Kurōdo immediately changed himself as an exact replica of Ichigo, save for the abilities of Zangetsu, that is. Renji and Noba went against each other, but things weren't looking so hot with Renji. He would've won had it not been for Noba's power of teleportation that caused all of Renji's attacks to strike right back at him.

Honestly, I was surprised that I could somehow pay attention to their fight at all when my life was in danger, though it wasn't at the same time. This needed to be reminded to myself before my nyctophobia did any serious, mental damage to me. I didn't think the others even knew about it; Ichigo was probably the only one that truly knew. I guess that's something I needed to handle once this was all over.

Now, about the whole 'trying to tell myself that it was just an illusion'… Yeah, that wasn't exactly working out so well right now. I mean, just think about it: how would you have handled the situation if you were dangling over your greatest fear while trying to remind yourself that you weren't really in any danger? And did I mention that the rope was ripping a little too fast? Okay, sure, I did remember that if I felt the warmth of the locket Ichigo gave me, then I wouldn't freak out. But, it was dangling _away_ from my chest, meaning I didn't feel the least bit safe and secured at _all_. I tried checking up on how the guys were doing to keep my mind off of the bottomless pit under me, and boy did it make things worse.

Chad already had sand all the way up to his neck; Renji kept getting cut up by his own Zabimaru; Ichigo was… Well, he didn't seem to have that much trouble with his opponent, but he did almost get hit by his own Getsuga Tensho thanks to Noba's teleportation ability. And what's worse: my rope was getting thinner by the passing second. You still expect me to think all this was just a lesson? Bull.

"Did you already forget that there was a time limit?" Ririn pointed out with that usual smile of hers. "You better hurry, because it's almost up! And that rope holding your friend over here is almost on its last leg."

"Dammit…" Ichigo growled; not the least bit excited or happy that he was indeed running out of time.

'_Ichigo…'_ I couldn't say or even whisper it aloud because of the fear paralyzing me and restricting my ability of speech.

"And now, for the Final Stage!" said Ririn as she raised her hand once again to summon a red portal above us. It started to vacuum everything in the area with its strong gravitational pull. Everyone then braced themselves and tried to hold their ground, but it was still too much for them to handle. Chad and I, on the other hand, wasn't as affected by its pull, and also because of the hole beneath me already trying to suck me in.

Seeing as things became dire, Renji had advised Ichigo to use his Bankai, because there was nothing else that could possible stop this madness, and he did exactly that. Soon, Ichigo was engulfed in his light blue, Spiritual Pressure, getting ready to release his Bankai. However, I knew that it wouldn't work, and it was also pretty obvious by the way he struggled to even keep his Zangetsu up. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that a pair of struggling, brown eyes were staring into my frightened, pair of green. I couldn't though, because…

_**SNAP!**_

My mouth slowly opened as I heard the rope that was holding me up finally snap, and out came a piercing scream from my throat, something that none of my friends ever heard before.

"ALEEEX!"

* * *

'…_I…I'm able to see…? Oh! That's right; the bottomless pit was an illusion. I forgot… But, what broke my fall?'_ After taking a peek to see if I was in the darkness I thought myself to be consumed in, I realized that my surroundings still consisted of the rocky terrain. I looked underneath my body to see what was it that broke my fall, and let me tell you now that it was _definitely_ not what I expected or imagined to be possible, just like when the Hogyoku had somehow found its way inside of me and out of Rukia. "Wh… H… How is this even…?"

There was a light blue, shield-like spade that separated my now free body—since the ropes came loose on their own—from the ground. I brought a hand up to my chest to touch the silver locket resting against it. It felt hotter than I ever remembered, completely unlike its usual, gentle warmth. The locket didn't burn me or anything; it just felt hot. As I sat up on the shield, it slowly faded, as well as the light that shown brightly from the locket, since I was in no longer in harm's way. The last thing I remembered before blacking out yet a second time was Ichigo screaming my… _'This was…Ichigo's doing? But…that can't be possible; no way! I don't recall him ever gaining powers similar to Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka. Heck, the Fruit Pop doesn't even know how to use Kido! So, how is it that he was able to save me via the locket?'_ There were many questions that flooded my mind, and none were able to find an answer, still. Just what the hell was going on with my necklace?

"Alex, Chad!" Speak of the orange haired devil…

"Hm?" I turned to find Ichigo rushing up the hill we were on to see if we were all right. I had expected him to check on Chad first, but he went straight toward…me. I mean, I was practically sitting next to Chad, so the distance didn't really matter. But, it's the fact that he came to me before Chad. …Why?

Ichigo helped me on my feet by taking hold of my arms. He then asked, "Are you all right? You're not hurting anywhere?"

I shook my head as a reply. "No, I'm fine. I didn't get hurt at all."

With a quick—yet for some reason hesitate—nod of his head, he went over to Chad, offering to get the ropes off him.

It wasn't until he left that I realized my body was still trembling a little. I guess the thought of nearly getting swallowed up by my worst fear still affected me and showed physically. I would have to admit that Ichigo's concern for me was…very nice and sweet of him.

I joined up with him, Chad, and the others as they made their way toward us, happy to see we were safe. Orihime was the second most worried of the group—Ichigo being the most—as she half-tackled me in a relieved hug.

"I'm so glad that you guys are okay! When I saw you fall and disappear from my sight for a moment, I thought you really fell into that bottomless pit!" Orihime cried out, probably not wanting to let me go anytime soon.

"Orihime, I'm fine, really," I said, hoping that I comforted and would convince her to release me from her worrisome grip. A small pat on the head finally did the trick, along with a soft smile.

"Chad," Ichigo began, "do you remember anything while being captured?"

After staring up in thought for a brief moment, he answered, "…There was tea."

"See! I told you!" chimed Orihime. "You laughed, but there really _was _tea!"

"Hm…" Looking off to the side, Ichigo spotted a certain green and white striped bucket hat lying on the ground not too far away. I smirked as he finally caught on. With his own smirk on his face, Ichigo went over to pick it up. "Now, I get it; it all makes sense… All right, Urahara, I know you're here somewhere!"

The others were completely baffled at his assumption, but nonetheless stuck with him to see if he was right.

"This is all your doing, isn't it? Come on out and show yourself!" he called once more.

As the dust dispersed and revealed the Mod Souls, applauding could be heard from behind the wooden pole Chad was tied up to before. Kisuke walked out, for once not wearing his signature bucket hat. "That didn't take you long to figure it out. What was it that tipped you off?"

Ichigo first answered that it was the sight of his hat, but he soon explained and mentioned how the Mod Souls kept pushing us into tighter and tighter situations yet never finished us off; also, that it helped when I began to suspect something was up when we were on the hill. "Chad and Alex were never in any real danger, were they?"

Ririn nodded before saying, "In fact, most of the time, we spent playing checkers. It would have been more fun if Alex wasn't getting a little much beauty sleep after we brought her here. And we didn't mean for you to get too scared about the pit, though. I didn't think you were _that _afraid of the dark." A sheepish yet apologetic smile appeared on her face. "We're sorry."

At hearing this, the others straightened up while giving me questioning stares. "You're afraid of the dark, Alex?" asked Orihime, speaking for everyone.

I opened my mouth to deny it, but there was no point in doing so, now. It was time that I finally told them, and Orihime definitely deserved to know that much about me. I sighed, "Yeah. I've had nyctophobia ever since I was a little girl. It was because of an incident that happened, but I don't think I'm ready to talk about it again just yet."

"Again?!" they yelled at me in unison, easily making me feel small under their shocked expressions.

"What do you mean, 'Again'? Who else did you share it with?" Uryu demanded.

"Calm yourselves!" I demanded with a comical expression. "And anyway, I only told one other person." They motioned and waited for me to continue, looking just a bit silly. "…I told Ichigo about it," I finally admitted, but I had to restrain myself from blushing.

Soon, the group of four swiveled around to face Ichigo as he suddenly became somewhat scared at what was to come. "Wh…What? She told me not to tell anyone about it!"

"Like hell I did," I remarked in a flat tone. "All I asked was, 'Can I share something with you', and nothing else. I'm actually surprised that you remembered but never said anything about it to anyone else, though, Ichigo."

Before they would get on his case, Kisuke gladly butt in with, "Y'know, that's not exactly something we should worry so much about right now. All that really matters is that everyone is aware of her phobia. So, ease up a little, all right?" Thankfully, and much to Ichigo's relief, the others relaxed and let it go and would ask more about it later. Kisuke then began to explain about the events of the past few days and his reasoning for doing it. Once getting to the point where he said the games were a way to let everyone take a good look at themselves, he said, "For instance, your Bankai doesn't work, does it, Ichigo?"

Most of everyone gasped at the truth. Ichigo gently bowed his head with his eyes closed in response, knowing that it was indeed true, even though he didn't want it to be.

Kisuke reminded him that he was a _Substitute_ Soul Reaper, not quite a Soul Reaper. Besides, this was the World of the Living, not the Soul Society where there was a vast and abundant amount of Spirit Energy available. Another thing Kisuke had said was that whenever the situation got tough, he shouldn't rely solely on his Bankai to get out of it the second it happened. "Try to remember: it's not that easy… That aside, did you know that Yoruichi was here conducting an investigation?" Kisuke exclaimed in his silly manner.

"Yeah?" said Ichigo, glad that he tried to steer away from the previous topic. "I was wondering what had her concerned."

"I don't know all the details, but an unexplained phenomenon has everyone concerned."

"What sort of phenomenon?" inquired Uryu.

"So far," he answered, "all I know is that it was serious enough to justify the Soul Society to close off the passageway to the World of the Living."

Renji stepped up to the front with his idea of what it might be connected to. "I know. I bet it has something to do with the Aizen incident, doesn't it?"

"Doubt it," remarked Kisuke. "Aizen got away with the Hogyoku, but he's still gonna need a lot of time before he could mature it enough and utilize its full power. He probably won't surface or make a move for a while, which is good, because right now, you're too weak to counter him. But Ichigo," he started.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked. He watched as Kisuke bowed to him on one knee while a fist rested on the ground.

"Soon enough, the issue of the Hogyoku will return, and we will not be able to deal with it…without your Bankai. Will you try to learn to use it again? I'm asking you to do this for me…" he bowed his head, hiding his already partially shadowed eyes.

It was true, though. We _did _need Ichigo's Bankai in order to go up against Aizen when the time came. And he knew that as well. Waiting for a reply, we all stood there and listened out for answer. "…All right…I'll do it—."

"An excellent decision, thanks so much!" In the blink of an eye, the sandy haired shop owner switched to his goofy personality.

Everyone sweat dropped while staring at him funny. I sighed aloud as I rested my hands on my hips.

"That guy could sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo…" Uryu mumbled. If he could do that, then I didn't know what we were going to do with him.

Getting back to business, Kisuke said, "All right then, Ichigo, why don't we get right to it and start cultivating your situational analysis and critical judgment skills?'

"U-Uh…"

'_Don't worry, Ichigo. I still never understood what the hell that meant.' _I lazily and confusedly cocked my head at Kisuke with an already hurting brain.

"Ichigo, you _really_ need to learn how to use your head more," he began. "You let your opponents take advantage of you far too often. Ironically, the member of your group who was best at that kind of critical thinking is Uryu, the one who doesn't have any powers anymore. It's true, right Uryu?" Kisuke asked, looking back at the former Quincy.

Ichigo looked over his shoulder at his friend, hoping that this new piece of information to him wasn't true. Unfortunately…

"Yes. I lost my Quincy powers while fighting in the Soul Society," Uryu answered melancholy.

"Why the hell didn't you tell us?" Ichigo growled as he and the others ganged up on him in a funny way. Poor Uryu had to step back because of how close they almost got.

"All those times you didn't use your powers were because you couldn't?" Renji added.

"Is this really true, Uryu?" Orihime honestly wanted him to say that he was kidding, or anything.

"Huh?" mumbled quiet Chad.

I'd settled with sticking back with Kisuke and the Mod Souls—obviously because I had known about this by now.

"You freakin' idiot!"

Uryu snapped out of his daze before going up to Ichigo and snapped, "What'd you say?"

"By doing that, you put every one of us in danger," he explained. This made Uryu relax a bit and realize that he was right. "I'm not trying to say that you endangered us by not having any powers. Fighting as a team means we all have things we can contribute, and you were a huge help there in the Soul Society. But if you lost your powers, that isn't something you're should've kept secret from the rest of us. We would've been a stronger team if we had known." He paused for a second before continuing, "Hey…you have to trust your friends enough in order to tell them to truth. You know that…"

"Ichigo…" It was apparent that Uryu was the most moved and surprised out of all of us. Ichigo's words really got to him. And, once again, he was right.

Clapping once to get everyone's attention, Kisuke spoke up with, "Well, that concludes today's lesson. Let's head on up and get something to eat! I'm guessing by now, Tessai has whipped us up something tasty."

"But an entire town just got destroyed!" Ichigo interrupted. "What are you gonna do about that?"

Ririn giggled, "You should know we would never do something like that! That was just a big hologram!"

He looked down at her with an annoyed sort of glare. "Well then, what happened to all those kids from our school?"

"They're probably waking up, now…"

Ririn then explained to us that they never truly went to some alternate dimension. They were merely sent someplace else in Karakura while being put into unconsciousness for the time being, or at least until things were finally over.

"You're annoying," Ichigo forced out through gritted teeth. I guess she would be getting that a lot from now on…

"Kisuke!"

All had brought their eyes up to the voice heard from above as someone came flying in through the entrance/exit of the underground training area. It was Yoruichi returning with urgent news. We faced her entirely as she first told Kisuke that she needed to tell him what she found out. He urged her to go on, and Yoruichi answered with, "The intruder…is a Bount."

'_Well, now, things seem to be starting to kick up again. Only this time, I'll definitely be more involved.' _Declaring this in my head made it sound easy, but actually doing it was a whole 'nother story… Besides, I still have to figure out how my locket was able to form that shield.

_'…Should I tell Ichigo about this, or just keep it to myself?'_


End file.
